www.sacw.net > In Defence of Intellectual and Artistic Freedom in (or on) South Asia: This space is committed to the defence of the rights of secular academics, intellectuals, writers, artists, film makers and journalists under threat by fundamentalists and by Govts. -- South Asia Citizens Web
[Updated on August 26, 2008]

Related Material: In Defence of A Liberal Society by Praful Bidwai The Sweet Smell of Gender Trouble by RA Ravishankar A lethal mix of censorship and identity politics wreaks havoc in Indian public life, yet again by Ananya Vajpeyi Censorship of foreign ideas by Rajiv Dhavan Playing into the Sangh's hands by Kalpana Sharma South Asia:  PUCL HRCP  SAFHR  Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature Free Media Sri Lanka International Contacts: * Association of Writers - The Pen * Network of Concerned Historians * Scholars at Risk Network * Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR) * International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) Womens World

India: Dont Give In (Editorial, The Times of India, August 26, 2008) The harassment of Husain (Editorial, The Hindu, August 26, 2008) Sahamat Exhibit on MF Hussain Attacked - Join the Protest on 25 August (Press Statement by SAHMAT, August 24, 2008) Works of MF Hussain Excluded from India Art Summit (A statement by SAHMAT, August 21, 2008) Release Ajay TG -- Statement by Academics and Activists on the Harassment of Ashis Nandy and a Demand for Withdrawal of Spurious Charges Levied Against Him (Released by Professor Veena Das, June 16, 2008) -- Don’t Let Them Silence Taslima Nasreen - Stand Up For The Sake Of Freedom Of Expression In India: An SACW compilation of opinions and statements (November 27 - Dec 6, 2007) Attack on Chandra Mohan / Fine arts Faculty, MS University, Baroda On-line Petition to the Governer of Gujarat - Attack on M. S. University Autonomy Attack on Art by Anupama Katakam (June 1, 2007) 14 May Delhi Petition condemns assault on freedom of expression (May 22, 2007) Beauty And The Beast by Anil Dharker (May 16, 2007) Romila Thapar seeks Kalam's intervention in Vadodara issue (May 16, 2007) Hurt sentiments and moral policing (May 16, 2007) 'Free art, fight fascism' Times of India (15 May, 2007) Will they blow up Khajuraho? by Peter Ronald DeSouza (May 15, 2007) Art in Arms (May 15, 2007) by Pragya Paramita Abandoned to the mob by Rekha Rodwittiya (May 15, 2007) Artists protest in Bangalore (May 15, 2007) Art Student Freed but the tussle is on Freedom of expression by Mallika Advani (May 14, 2007) Painting the art world red by Ranjit Hoskote (May 13, 2007) State’s artists and academicians condemn MSU episode in unison Baroda University Seals exhibit of Ancient Indian Art Fine Arts Faculty of M. S. University Under Siege. Statement by Baroda's Citizens Groups (May 12, 2007) Accused by Hindutva thugs - Baroda Arts students arrested CNN-IBN (May 11, 2007) o o o Sex, Religion and the Moral Police by Vir Sanghvi (April 21, 2007) Scissor Happy by Premankur Biswas The Baroda incident is one of the many incidents of oppression of art, mention art historians in Kolkata The Harrassment of MF Hussain MF Hussain, Hindu right and the courts of law- 2 editorials James Laine's book under renewed threat Maharashtra style Moditva by Suhas Palshikar (May 17, 2007) The power of books Editorial, Economic Times (May 1, 2007) Pakistan: Campaign to terrorize a theatre group: A request for Action A letter by Madeha Gauhar (April 27, 2007) Pakistan bans satire about burqas (April 26, 2007) Anger at Pakistan burka play ban (BBC News - April 27, 2007) India: [Parzania] Blocked . . . by Darshana Chaturvedi (February 3, 2007) Non-screening of ‘Parzania’ in Gujarat is a shocking curb on freedom of expression by Soli Sorabjee (January 30, 2007) Returning Indian painter to face fury of Hindus by Jo Johnson (December 12 2006) Pakistan: ‘Moral police’ going out of their way to harass those going out by Hina Farooq (November 29, 2006) India: Mallika Sarabhai’s play faces Censor heat by Jumana Shah (November 19, 2006) The communalisation of censorship in India by Amardeep Singh (August 2006) Censorship of Writers in Andhra Pradesh by Maha Jabeen (June 29 - July 3, 2006) India: Filmmakers win legal battle against Censor requirement at National Film Awards July 2006 Back To Emergency? "Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill 2006", prepared by the I&B ministry, gives sweeping draconian powers to the government to effectively pre-censor and cripple media organizations. by Prashant Bhushan   (July 6, 2006) Ban on the Book is Deplorable by Tariq Rehman (July 4, 2006) Petition to Stop Madras Institute of Development Studies’ witch hunt against Professor Radhakrishnan (July, 2006) Security for Taslima after imam announces reward on her head (June 24, 2006) Hindu Law Board offers Rupee 51 crore for killing MF Hussain (February 23, 2006) Attempt to vandalise art gallery in Ahmedabad (February 13, 2006) BJP Demands Hussain's Arrest (February 8, 2006) Virtual Assaults by Nandagopal N Menon (January 28, 2006) Mallika Sherawat faces moral police (15 Jan, 2006) Another book on Shivaji by James Laine's Banned (January 9, 2006) Wise King, but foolish Subjects by Ananya Vajpeyi (January 18, 2006) UK: PEN is concerned about protests over the filming of Monica Ali’s Brick Lane (July 2006) USA Historians Michael Witzel and Steve Farmer face the wrath of the Hindu right for opposing injection of Hindutva in School textbooks in California Now, Hindu Nationalists Rewriting California Textbooks by Angana Chatterji (January 8, 2006) Pakistan: Historian - Mubarak Ali faces harassement An Interview with Dr Mubarak Ali (November 2005) India: Tehrik e Niswan Pakistani cultural group told to go home (December 2005) On Culture-policing in Tamil Nadu (November 28, 2005) Court moves to protect Indian Actress Khushboo (November, 2005) AIDWA extends support to Khushboo (November 18, 2005) Pakistan 'moral laws' spark row  - BBC News (July 11 2005) Film-kiss star demands protection A Pakistani actress asks her government for protection after reportedly receiving death threats for a film kiss.(March, 2005) UK: Hullabaloo over the English Play Behzti (December 21, 2004) India: Online Petition for justice to Dr. Bernard D'Mello, a professor of management and economics who was victimised by his institute's administration for challenging promotion of its communal agenda Online Petition To Protest against ban by India's Censor Board on the documentary film Final Solution (August 9, 2004) Bangladesh: How dare the recalcitrant mullahs offer their fatwa against three very bright professors of DU? by A.H. Jaffor Ullah (July 1, 2004) Bangladesh: Debating the Ahmadiyya ban by Naeem Mohaiemen and Zafar Sobhan (June 14, 2004) Bangladesh: Selectivity of "Freedom" Chokes People's Free Voice by Farida Majid (April 2, 2004) Ahmadiyya books banned (January 9, 2004) India: Secret society (March 27, 2004) A Fair Unfair to Books by Mukul Dube (February 28, 2004) Cultural Policing by Bajrang Dal and the Rajasthan police (February 20, 2004) VHP, Bajrang Dal activists damage Husain's paintings (January 30, 2004) India: Move to prosecute rationalist leader criticised (Jan 29, 2004) -- Confronting censorship by Kalpana Sharma (February 17, 2004) Indian Filmmakers Feel Sting of Censorship Growing Intolerance Blamed as Documentaries About Violence in Gujarat Are Banned by Rama Lakshmi (January 17, 2004) James Laine's Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India and the attack on the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute How a US historian sparked calls for his arrest - in India by Scott Baldauf (March 29, 2004) Terror By Law by Dilip Chitre (March 24, 2004) India: Historians rue attack on freedom of expression (Mar 23, 2004) The mob as censor by Ranjit Hoskote (February 11, 2004) Politics of vandalism by Anupama Katakam (Frontline of 17-30 January) Bonfire of cupboard of history - Pune institute continues to count the losses from attack by Sambhaji Brigade by Anand Soondas (19 January 2004) Pleasures of a burning book by Rohit Gupta (January 15, 2004) Rape of culture leaves city in shock by Ketaki Ghoge(January 5 , 2004) India: Scholar destroys own work on Shivaji [following strong Arm tactics by Shiv Sena] by Manjiri Damle (December 27, 2003) Myth against history - The Times of India India: Playwright Tendulkar in BJP gunsight (December 13, 2003) Taslima Nasrin Responds to her book ban in West Bengal (November 29, 2003) India: Malika Sarabhai under attack by the Hindutva Laden govt in Gujarat: [The BJP controlled Gujarat government's harassement of the noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai for her concerted stand against communalism. See Fact sheet and FAQs] Examples of Letters of Support in Defence of Malika Sarabhai Signatures collected in Calcutta in support of Malika Sarabhai Malika Innocent say her former students (November 7, 2003) Political vindictiveness by M.V. Ramana (November 6, 2003) Statement by Concerned Citizens in Defence of Malika Sarabhai (November 1, 2003) Artists Criticize Modi Govt (People's Democracy - 1 Nov 2003) Online petition in support of Malika Sarabhai India: Gujarat censor board bans Maulana Azad play by Nina Martyris (November 19, 2003) Docu-maker faces VHP's wrath (Oct 24, 2003) VHP activists heckle Godhra documentary filmmaker Times of India, India - Oct 20, 2003 Pakistan: Campus takeover Pakistan's fundamentalists are on the rise by Miranda Kennedy (October 5, 2003) Nafisa Ali charged by the BJP led govt in Gujarat for inciting hate Concerned citizens write to the President of India in defence of Nafisa Ali (August 29, 2003) Habib Tanvir: Attack on the Indian theatre director Habib Tanvir's Work (August 31, 2003) Statement by Cultural and academic workers in defence of the noted playright Habib Tanvir (August 21, 2003) Statement by SAHMAT on the disruption of Plays of Habib Tanvir (19 August 2003) Offensive content here by Fundamentalists >> {Hindutva fundamentalists run a vile campaign against the well known Indian actor Shahrukh Khan} August 2003 In Defence of the Indian Historian Romila Thapar under attack from the Hindu right and associates (2003) Censorship and Indian Cinema: The Case of War and Peace by Shammi Nanda (November 2002) DN Jha's Book under attack Beef book sparks Hindu protest (August 2001) Beef eating: strangulating history by Ram Puniyani Paul Zacharia Rights Activists Decry Hate Campaign against Indian Writer Mon Jan 13, Professor Sheikh in Pakistan Pakistan doctor on trial for blasphemy By Susannah Price Pakistan's Blasphemy Law: Words Fail Me By Akbar S. Ahmed (May 19, 2002) Akhtar Hameed Khan: Persecuted Minorities and Writers in Pakistan Pervez Hoodbhoy on Religious Orthodoxy and the Fundamentalist menace to Science in Pakistan & Muslim countries How do fundamentalist religions influence scientific endeavors? What happens when scientists question what's written in the Koran? What is the climate like today for scientists working in Pakistan and other Islamic countries? Taslima Nasreen The Website of Taslima Nasreen Taslima Nasreen and the fight against fundamentalism Threats of violations relating to freedom of speech by imams of mosques and the religious right in Bangladesh Salman Rushdie Help Salman Rushdie (1990) Thackeray lays down 'norms' for writers Shiv Sena chief lambasts writers FILM / CINEMA: Press Release | 12 July 2003 CONDEMN the spread of Fascism in India Condemn the VHP attack on filmmaker Gopal Menon and his team Mahesh Bhatt's Zakhm Zakhm has to reach the people. You know, right out there where hatred is fermented' (rediff.com, December 29, 1998) On Deepa Mehta's Film Fire: 07 Feb 00 |  South Asia Shooting of Indian film banned (BBC) Freedom under Fire: Smokescreen for hidden agenda. Shabana Azmi writes in the Times of India, 17 Dec 1998. * Security for Dilip Kumar tightened. (Hindu, 15 Oct 1998) Protest in front of Dilip Kumar's house justified, says Thackeray (14 December 1998) * Hindu leader says lesbian film should be about Moslem family AFP Anand Patwardhan's films Censor stops 'War and Peace' MF Hussain - Assault on art The bizarre attack by Hindutva forces at the home of M.F. Husain in Mumbai has once again brought the issue of freedom of artistic expression into focus. Indian artist upsets sensibilities A controversial Muslim artist is under attack in India after painting a nude portrait of a Hindu goddess. BBC  |  08/07/1998 Sri Lanka bans transvestite film The authorities in Sri Lanka have banned a controversial film based on the true story of a female transvestite. Fundamentalist Hindu party says Pakistani artists not welcome The governing party in India's western state of Maharashtra, the Hindu fundamentalist Shiv Sena, says that it's determined to stop Pakistani artists and sports-people performing in India. BBC  |  27/04/1998 Mani Ratnam's Bombay releases after it is cleared by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thakeray (1995)

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