‘Arrest Ahmedabad Vandals’ The Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) and Communalism Combat issued the following statement from New Delhi on August 17, 2013. THE SAHMAT and Communalism Combat strongly condemn the latest attack by VHP goons on an art exhibition of Pakistani and Indian artists, ‘An Art Affair,’ at the Amdavad Ni Gufa, Ahmedabad, on August 16, just a day after India had celebrated independence day across the country. This was the latest attacks on the same venue by the same right-wing groups.The Gufa had been vandalised earlier, in 1998, when it was called Husain-Doshi ni Gufa; in that attack the target was M F Husain’s paintings. The second attack was in 2006. Strong arm tactics of this nature against the creative community cannot be tolerated in any measure. We demand that the concerned authorities arrest the perpetrators of the crime without any delay.

August 25, 2013