January
30,
2004
Press
Statement
The
Central
Committee
of
the
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist),
now
in
session
at
Hyderabad,
has
issued
the
following
statement:
The
Central
Committee
of
the
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist)
strongly
condemns
the
ransacking
of
an
exhibition
of
paintings
by
world
renowned
painter
M.F.
Hussein
by
VHP
and
Bajrang
Dal
activists
at
Surat
yesterday.
This
is
not
the
fist
time
that
Mr.
M.F.
Hussein
and
his
work
have
been
targetted
by
the
RSS-led
communal
outfits.
The
cultural
policing
by
the
RSS-led
organisations
are
reaching
a
feverish
pitch
in
the
run-up
to
the
elections.
They
seek
to
use
these
tactics
to
sharpen
communal
polarisation
for
their
electoral
benefits.
This
time
the
target
was
on
an
exhibition
inaugurated
on
the
Republic
Day
by
artists
including
prominent
artists
like
Bhupen
Khakkar
and
Ghulam
Sheikh
set
up
in
defence
of
the
Indian
Republic.
With
the
Gujarat
police,
as
usual,
remaining
a
silent
spectator
in
such
communal
attacks,
the
VHP-Bajrang
Dal
brazenly
ransacked
the
exhibition.
The
Central
Committee
of
the
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist)
demands
immediate
action
against
the
perpetrators
of
this
crime.
It
also
demands
that
adequate
protection
be
given
to
M.F.
Hussein
who
is
constantly
being
subjected
to
such
attacks.