Latest news with #HinduJanajagrutiSamiti
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Build selfless forum to serve Hindus: Activist
Mangaluru: Commit yourself to building an ideal organisation akin to Prabhu Shri Rama, urged Mohan Gowda of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. He was speaking at the Guru Purnima Mahotsav held on Thursday at the Kootakkala Auditorium, Bhagavati Kshetra, Mangaluru. Gowda emphasised that just as Shri Rama organised the Vanara Sena against Ravana, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj united the common Mavalas against Islamic invaders to establish the Hindavi Swarajya, we too must establish such a selfless organisation, inspired by the spirit of sacrifice for Dharma . Only then can a true Ramarajya or a Hindavi Swarajya be realised, he said. Gowda stressed the current necessity for such an organisation. Gowda further stated that Hindu society is currently facing numerous attacks. The core point, he asserted, is that the attacks on India by internal and external enemies are not merely for expansionism, but aimed at destroying Hinduism.
The Print
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Hindutva grouse returns to haunt an MF Husain auction in Mumbai. Latest row & past controversies
The Hindutva outfit has also submitted a memorandum to this effect to Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Mumbai Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti, warning of a public agitation if they refused to meet its demands. There are neither any new grouses nor any fresh grounds for the outfit to call for the scrapping of the auction. The HJS has claimed that Husain previously hurt Hindu sentiments, and the auction would be akin to a 'glorification of his criminal deeds'. Mumbai: The late Indian modernist painter, M.F. Husain, has once again riled up Hindutva activists ahead of a rare auction of his 25 paintings Thursday at Hamilton House, Mumbai. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has called for the scrapping of the auction. ThePrint reached out to Hindu Janajagruti Samiti over a call, but the member who picked up the call refused to comment. Hamilton House, or Pundole Art Gallery was also contacted via calls and email for its comments. Once a response comes, the report will be updated. The HJS threats are nothing new. The illustrious art career of Husain, who died in 2011 in London at 95 years of age after a self-imposed exile, was marked with protests, police complaints, and legal tussles with Hindutva outfits back home. Controversies over Husain's paintings Maqbool Fida Husain, known as Picasso of India, was a revered artist who, at the same time, was a child of controversies. He produced nearly 60,000 works of art in his 95 years of life, covering subjects ranging from the Ramayana and Mahabharata to the British colonisation and motifs of urban and rural India. However, some of his works, especially in the 90s, landed him in the crosshairs of the saffron brigade and political outfits. In 1996, he drew the goddess of knowledge, Saraswati, nude. Hindutva outfits, such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, strongly criticised it. In the late 1990s, Bajrang Dal activists attacked his exhibition in Ahmedabad, destroying some of his paintings. Enraged again in 1998 by a painting depicting a nude Sita, sitting on the tail of Hanuman, Bajrang Dal activists attacked his home in South Mumbai. At the time, Husain had to apologise for things to calm down. 'We should find a way once and for all to establish what is art and what is obscenity. It is not an attack on me but on culture and the freedom of expression,' M.F. Husain told the media back then. His representations of Hindu gods and goddesses such as Shiva and Durga—allegedly controversial—led to legal actions and threats in the early 2000s. After years, nearly a decade later, he again landed in a controversy for painting 'Bharat Mata' nude. He had drawn a nude woman in red, in the shape of India. At the time, the backlash was severe, with multiple cases filed against him in several states under sections 153A, 295A, and 292 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to promoting enmity between communities, insulting religious sentiments, and participating in or promoting businesses selling obscene objects, respectively. The Bal Thackeray-led Shiv Sena attacked his exhibition titled India in the Era of Mughals in Delhi in 2007, vandalising two of his paintings. Though Husain then apologised for the portrayal, he left the country in 2006 and sought asylum in Doha. He spent his last years between Doha, Dubai, and London. In 2008, the Delhi High Court dismissed the criminal cases against him. In 2011, the Supreme Court consolidated all the cases in the lower courts. Then, it passed a judgment, extending protection to his art under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of speech and expression. Also Read: Mumbra train tragedy: Call for automated doors, more trains after at least 4 dead due to overcrowding The auction Back in 2004, Swarup Shrivastava, a Mumbai-based art collector and chairman of Swarup Group of Industries, bought 25 paintings from Husain for a deal. Each painting cost Rs one crore each. The deal was to commission 100 paintings for Rs 100 crore. However, in 2006, the Central Bureau of Investigation initiated a probe against the Swarup Group and Srivastava for allegedly misappropriating Rs 150 crore from Rs 236 crore taken in loans from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). A tribunal in December 2008 permitted NAFED to secure the Husain paintings among assets of Rs 100 crore. Finally, the case reached the Bombay High Court, which asked for a valuation of the paintings from the Pundole Art Gallery. Last year, in May, Pundole submitted that the valuation was Rs 25 crore for 25 paintings. Subsequently, the Bombay HC, in a February 2025 order, allowed the sheriff of Mumbai to auction 25 paintings to recover the dues from Shrivastava. The auction, titled 'M.F. Husain: An artist's vision of the XX century', includes 25 canvases painted as a part of the OPCE, Our Planet Called Earth, series by Husain. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has submitted a memorandum to the government officials to raise objections. The memorandum stated, 'M.F. Husain, during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, painted a nude and disrespectful image of Bharat Mata titled 'Rape of Mother India', which is a severe act of sedition. In other paintings, he portrayed Bharat Mata nude with names of Indian cities written on her body.' 'Holding an auction of these 25 paintings is tantamount to indirectly supporting his previous anti-national and anti-social acts. Glorifying such individuals under the guise of 'artistic freedom' is unacceptable. The Patiala House Court in Delhi has recently ordered the seizure of Husain's controversial paintings, and an investigation is underway,' the HJS added in its memorandum. In the past, there had been cancellations of his exhibitions in India and revocations of awards in his name, the memorandum further stated. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Solo or together? The big question for Maharashtra alliances this BMC poll season
Hans India
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Hindu Group Demands Ban on Auction of M.F. Husain's Controversial Paintings
Mangaluru: M.F. Husain paintings, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, art auction ban, controversial art India, religious sentiments protest, Mumbai art galleryThe Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has demanded a complete ban on the upcoming auction of 25 paintings by late artist M.F. Husain, scheduled to be held at the Pundole Art Gallery in Mumbai on June 12. The organisation submitted memoranda to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mumbai Police Commissioner, and the Mumbai District Collector, calling the proposed sale 'a glorification of anti-national and anti-Hindu sentiments.' In a press release issued here today the Samiti has alleged that several of the works being auctioned include controversial and 'vulgar' depictions of revered Hindu deities and Bharat Mata (Mother India), which sparked nationwide outrage in the past. Among them, they point to a painting titled Rape of Mother India, which HJS claims Husain created during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The group argues that this work amounts to sedition and deeply insults India and its cultural identity. 'Glorifying such a figure under the guise of 'artistic freedom' is unacceptable,' said the HJS in its statement, warning of public protests if the auction is not halted. 'Art that mocks national symbols and religious icons cannot be shielded as creativity. It is an assault on the spiritual and emotional ethos of a nation.' Maqbool Fida Husain, often referred to as the 'Picasso of India,' was one of the country's most celebrated yet polarising artists. Despite his global acclaim, his depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses in the nude led to more than 1,200 legal complaints across India. His critics accused him of deliberately hurting religious sentiments, while supporters defended his work as a bold exploration of mythology through modernist lenses. Notably, in one painting, he portrayed Sita seated nude on Hanuman's tail, and in others, Lord Ram, Sita, and Hanuman are depicted nude together — images that provoked widespread outrage. There were also paintings of goddesses Saraswati, Parvati, Ganga, and Yamuna in nude or suggestive forms, which many Hindu groups deemed offensive. In the face of mounting protests and legal challenges, Husain left India in 2006 and later accepted Qatari citizenship in 2010. He passed away in exile in London in 2011. The Samiti also referenced a recent directive by Delhi's Patiala House Court to seize Husain's controversial painting, calling it a legal precedent that should influence upcoming actions. 'Several of his exhibitions have previously been cancelled, and awards in his name were revoked. Allowing a public auction now undermines judicial intent,' the statement said. The HJS has urged the government to not only ban the auction but also declare Rape of Mother India as anti-national and ensure its destruction. They've also demanded legal action against galleries or individuals who attempt to sell or display such works, citing public harmony and national interest. When contacted, officials at Pundole Art Gallery offered no comments.
Hans India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Sanatan Sanstha founder's 83rd birthday: Grand gathering of saints and devotees planned in Goa
Mangaluru: The Sanatan Sanstha will host a large-scale religious and cultural gathering titled 'Sanatan Rashtra Shankhnaad Mahotsav' from May 17 to 19 in Goa to commemorate the 83rd birthday of its founder, Dr. Jayant Athavale, and the organisation's silver jubilee year. The event is expected to draw over 25,000 participants from across India and abroad, including more than 5,000 from Karnataka. Addressing a press conference here, the organisers of the meet, Ishwar Kottari, Vijay Kumar, the district coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, M. J. Shetty, and Kiran Rai have stated that the event aims to promote the idea of a 'Sanatan Rashtra'—a spiritual vision of India inspired by the principles of Ramrajya. Activities will include mass chanting of 'Sri Ram' (with a target of one crore chants), a Sant Sabha (spiritual congregation), and an exhibition of traditional weaponry and artefacts from the Shivaji era. The event will also feature the display of the 1,000-year-old Somnath Jyotirlinga, reportedly safeguarded by Agnihotra practitioners and brought with the blessings of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, according to the organisers. Awards such as 'Hindu Rashtra Ratna' and 'Sanatan Dharmashree' are expected to be conferred on individuals recognised for their service to Hindu Dharma. The event, blending devotional rituals, cultural showcases, and ideological messaging, reflects the growing assertiveness of spiritual-nationalist groups and their call for unity among Hindu organisations under the banner of Sanatan Dharma.
