Two students have been arrested in Guwahati for painting portraits of eminent educationist and environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on hunger strike to secure the future of students. The two students were arrested while painting on a pole of Vasishta flyover at night. Students Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Assam State Committee strongly condemned the attack and urged the government to release the two students unconditionally.
The two students said the artistic endeavor was in honor of the nation’s great inventor’s struggle to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The two organizations termed this action of the police under the pretext of beautifying the city and without government permission as an indication of the autocratic character of the government. They demanded the immediate release of the two arrested artists, alleging that the government’s narrow attitude towards artists and art is undermining democratic values.
The two organizations said that painting pictures, posters or writing slogans on walls can never be a crime in a democratic country and urged the state government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma to construct ‘democracy walls’ in different parts of the city. Every citizen will have the right to express their thoughts in artistic form and write posters and slogans with various demands on these designated walls. They said, such action will show the broad attitude of the government. The two organizations recalled that graffiti and wall paintings are popular all over the world in modern democratic systems and Guwahati also carries this tradition.
SFI State Secretary Rajdeep Mohant and DYFI State Secretary Nirankush Nath urged the government not to criminalize free creative expression but to recognize it as a strong pillar of democracy. They vehemently opposed the government’s decision to completely ban the murals and made it clear that such acts, which violate the democratic rights of students and youth, are not acceptable under any circumstances.