Artist threatened for denigrating Ganesha

Subodh Kerkar has alleged that unknown people have threatened to kill him.

Panaji: Renowned Goan artist Subodh Kerkar has filed a police complaint alleging that unknown people had threatened to kill him unless he immediately withdraws his exhibition of sketches and installations of Lord Ganesha that they claim denigrates the Hindu deity. In a complaint registered at the Calangute police station Kerkar, who has participated in major art installation shows in Amsterdam, Switzerland, Norway and Macau among other places, said he had been receiving threatening calls from unknown people in Maharashtra and Goa who warned that his fingers would be chopped if he continued to "insult" the god.

Police inspector Nolasco Raposo told IANS that a formal First Information Report (FIR) had been filed against unknown people under the Indian Penal Code. "We have registered the FIR on the basis of a complaint filed by Kerkar. We have also received two complaints against Kerkar, one from an organization called the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), which has complained that the artist has denigrated and shown Hindu deity Ganesha in bad light. These two complaints have been sent for legal opinion," Raposo said. Meanwhile, when contacted, Kerkar said, "Ganapati is my favourite god and I have taken the liberty to use the visual medium to pass on environment friendly message." He further said that the Ganesh installation in his gallery had a lot of garbage strewn around the idol to highlight the state`s garbage disposal woes and the "basic disrespect which we showed to mother Earth". The other Ganesh sketches, which have riled rightwing groups, shows the tusked Hindu deity, specially revered in Goa, in various poses including receiving the Academy award (after "Slumdog Millionaire"), jumping happily about, etc. "I aim is to take Ganesh all over the world through my drawings by showing the deity in different forms," the artist said. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti convenor Jayesh Thali, however, claims that Kerkar had violated section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) by exhibiting "indecent images" of Lord Ganesh. "We are going to protest outside Kerkar`s art gallery if he does not take the pictures off," Thali said. "The whole of Goa is emotionally attached to Lord Ganesh. Ganesh Chaturthi is the most popular festival here. We take his art work showing our lord in this ugly manner as an offence to our religion," Thali said, addressing a press conference Monday. The exhibition has been scheduled at the Kerkar art gallery located in Calangute from Aug 20-31. IANS