An Assam-based artist has run into trouble for painting pictures of Lord Krishna in a manner that hurt sentiments of devout Hindus. Akram Hussain, whose work was being showcased at Guwahati’s State Art Gallery, now has an FIR lodged against him in the local police station. The painting which has irked religious groups, shows Krishna in a bar. He is surrounded by ‘gopis’ who are clad in bikinis.
Zee News reports: “The artist Akram Hussain, who hails from Goalpara and is a graduate of Government Art College here, had recently displayed two paintings at a group exhibition in the Assam State Art Galley here which ended on April 8. In one of the paintings, Hussain had symbolically drawn an unfurled Tricolour on which many objectionable items including liquor bottles were heaped while in the other painting, Lord Krishna was shown with semi-nude modern girls.”
While Hussain’s work is neither spectacular or compelling, the fact that the Muslim artist dared to interpret a Hindu god has made a lot of overtly Hindus see red. So, instead of critiquing the poor quality of the work, they have taken it to be a comment aimed at Hinduism and lodged an FIR against Hussain.
The painting has been taken off from display, but not before a Hindutva group lodged a complaint against Hussain.