Tussles and Curses over an elephantine depravation? BY BIDISHA GHOSAL The controversial exhibi­tion titled "Tits n Clit and Elephant Dick" saw a contro­versial end to its week-long run at Jehangir Art Gallery. One PushpaVijula stepped into the exhibition on Saturday morning grew incensed at the display. A fel­low visitor who tried to hush her loud and offensive remarks found himself the target of virulent abuses. In the attempt to break them up, artist Sanjeev Khandekar was verbally attacked with insults ranging from 'bas$%#d' to 'you should be hanged in public!' The lady refused to see reason and when offered to be taken around and showed the concept behind the paintings, she stalked off saying, 'I am not going to talk to you, I will go to the police!' said the artist. Khandekar immediately notified a lawyer friend. A squad of eight to 10 police-" men came in with the lady and questioned Khandekar about each of his paintings. After making as thorough an enquiry as they could of the matter, they noted down the lady's complaint. '"How a person can arbi­trarily accuse someone of anything without finding out the facts and looking beyond the surface is beyond me," said Vaishali Narkar, fellow artist.Niteen Pradhan, Khandekar's lawyer friend ho is being consulted in his matter said that the case has been filed under Section 92 that deals with obscene exhibition. "It is a rather contradicto­ry clause," he said. "On one hand it says that anything that corrupts moral value is obscene but structures that are of archaeological value are exempt. It does not spec­ify what might corrupt moral value. This translates into glorifying cultural and historical structures such as Khajurao while terming any modern creation that is similar as vulgar." He is not representing anyone just yet as the case has only just been filed and no actual proceedings have taken place. "Obscenity, just as beauty, is in the eyes of the behold­er," he said. "This case may be argued by pointing out that viewing nudity as obscene is an alien concept to our culture that was brought about by Islamic and Christian cultures.'' When contacted, DCP Brijesh Singh, Zone-I, said that while too many details about the complainant can­not be revealed, the police has begun investigations. "The case has been filed under sections 292 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The latter is to ensure joint lia­bility as the complainant has implicated both Sanjeev Khandekar and Vaishali Narkar in her statement." Incidentally, it deserves mention that a look at the visitors' book at the exhibition venue threw up more positive feedbacks than negative. Visitor finds art exhibits offensive; lodges police complaint but not before abusing artists Sanjeev Khandekar and Vaishali Narkar - was it really a fatal error to express themselves? Afternoon, August 7th 2006