The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has taken to Twitter to demand action against an Assam based artist Akram Hussain for his painting that featured Lord Krishna surrounded by bikini-clad women in a bar. After the artist’s 2015 artwork re-surfaced on the microblogging site today, ISKCON requested the Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and the state’s health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take cognisance and initiate strict action against the artist for his offensive artwork.
We request @CMOfficeAssam @sarbanandsonwal ji @himantabiswa ji to take strict action against Assam based Akram Hussain for this offensive post. https://t.co/dgLZGUh0T0
— Iskcon,Inc. (@IskconInc) August 17, 2020
Akram Hussain’s 2015 artwork featuring Lord Krishna, one of the most widely revered Hindu god who is worshipped as the eighth incarnation (avatar) of the Hindu god Vishnu, surrounded by bikini-clad “gopis”, re-invited the wrath of Netizens today. Netizens tore into the artist for depicting the Hindu god in an offensive manner. https://twitter.com/RatanSharda55/status/1295212960638369794?s=20
What kind of freedom is this @himantabiswa sir?
painter Name: Akram Hussain.
Lord Krishna with Bikini-clad gopis in a BAR
painting is frm Guwahati art gallery in Ravindra Bhawan pic.twitter.com/cGxNBame8G— Prithwiraj Nath (@prithwimig16) August 16, 2020
Netizens also drew parallels between the recent Bengaluru riots where a rioting Muslim mob took to street over an an allegedly ‘offensive’ Facebook post on Prophet Muhammad.
FIR filed against Akram Hussain for hurting religious sentiments in 2015
This is, however, not the first time that this particular painting by Akram Hussain has faced a massive backlash. The outrageous artwork, mocking the Hindu god, had back in April 2015, also faced the ire of many social media users and Hindu organisations who bayed for Hussain’s blood. Hindu Jagaran Mancha had filed an FIR at Latasil police station in Guwahati against the artist for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.
In April 2015, Akram Hussain’s Lord Krishna’s painting along with another preposterous artwork depicting liquor bottles and undergarments pouring out of an unfurled tricolour were displayed at a group exhibition in the Assam State Art Gallery.
The Assam branch of the All India Patriotic Forum had condemned his act of “dishonouring the national flag in the name of artistic freedom”.
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responds to ISKCON
Following the concerns raised by ISKCON, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded. He stated that the issue has been resolved already and currently there are no such images at the art gallery.
ISKCON has thanked the minister for the clarification.