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July 25, 2009

Shravan Shuddha Chaturthi, 5111

O Hindus, pay gratitude to God for success!

New Delhi: The curtains are set to go up on the second edition of the India Art Summit sans one of the best-known faces of Indian art. The canvases of M F Husain, India's most celebrated painter who is living in exile, will be missing from the three-day fair that opens in the Capital on August 19.

The organizers, who had drawn criticism for a similar decision last year, have cited security concerns. ‘‘We acknowledge the iconic stature of Husain but are unable to put all the people and artwork at risk,’’ said Neha Kirpal, associate summit director.
However, Kirpal added that an assurance of complete police protection could prompt a rethink. The art summit is considered a premier event for modern and contemporary art. Last year, an exhibition organized by the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust as a protest against Husain’s exclusion from the art summit was targeted by vandals who destroyed at least a dozen frames worth lakhs of rupees.

But the artist himself appears to hold no grouse about his exclusion. In a communication to organizers of the art fair, Husain, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2006, promised his support to the event.

‘‘My struggle has been going on for last 15 years. There are over 800 cases against me and only one of them has reached some resolution in SC. I totally understand that without the support of the state and complete police protection, it is impossible to show my art in the fair,’’ Husain said.

Source: Yahoo

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