Drawings in public places should be of Assamese 'revolutionaries' like ULFA chief: CM

Guwahati, Jul 10 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that locals wishing to paint pictures of “revolutionaries” at public places should do so of Assamese people like Paresh Baruah, head of the banned militant outfit ULFA(I), rather than that of Communist leader Che Guevara, who is not linked to this state. Sarma asserted that he does not accept Baruah's ideology and even condemns him, though he also pointed out that the ULFA(I) leader has been carrying out his “struggle” for 30 long years, leaving his family behind. Mentioning the controversy over erasing of a mural of the deceased singer Zubeen Garg by the authorities during a Guwahati beautification drive a month ago, Sarma said that if someone wants to draw the picture of a revolutionary in Assam, it should be of someone local, in an apparent reference to the use of images linked to Che in paintings of Zubeen. “If you want to draw a revolutionary, then draw Paresh Baruah. He has been continuing his struggle for 30 years, whether it is for good or bad is a different matter. He has to live away from his family. Draw pictures of Parag Das,” the CM said. “I may not accept Baruah and even condemn him, but if someone has to draw of revolutionaries, let them do so of Assamese ones,” he added. Baruah leads the secessionist ULFA(I) carrying out an armed struggle, while Das, a journalist and human rights activist, was gunned down in Guwahati in 1996 by unidentified assailants. He said public murals will be allowed with due permission but “not in Che Guevara-style”. Sarma said that he was unaware of the Cuban Revolution leader and read about him only after seeing the pictures. “Who is Che Guevara? I have visited Cuba and have studied about them. Most drug trade happens there. What link do we have with him? People cannot go to Cuba; the Indian embassy runs with the help of a single solar power source. There are no roads, no water supply. How can Assam be compared to such a country?” the CM added. On erasing of Garg’s Mural, the CM said that no such order was passed by the government. “The two painters recorded their statement in the police station that they erased the mural as it did not look like Zubeen Garg’s. They are not Muslims or Bangladeshi-Miyas, they are Assamese painters. The contractor who had undertaken the job is also an Assamese and all three are fans of Zubeen,” he said. Interestingly, Garg, who was known for his vocal stance against various issues, had publicly proclaimed that he is a follower of Che Guevara, Charlie Chaplin and Assamese iconic artist Bishnu Prasad Rabha -- all belonging to the communist school of ideology. The half-erased mural was repainted by the original artiste Marshall Baruah and others, with massive crowds gathering at the spot under the Ganeshguri flyover in the city over two days during the controversy in mid-June. The beautification drive, during which the two painters erased the mural partially before abandoning halfway as people gathered, was ahead of an anticipated visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to Assam. Claiming that the repainted mural doesn’t resemble Garg, Sarma maintained that all paintings, pictures of the singer should be based on an approved portrait by his wife, Garima Saikia Garg. He also affirmed the government’s respect towards the singer-composer, who died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19 last year, and said it was doing its bit for Garg, from developing his cremation ground to setting up a fast-track court to hear his death case. Sarma said the group involved in drawing the particular mural are SFI members, who first opposed the construction of flyovers or felling of trees for the purpose, but later came to showcase their art on these structures to gain free publicity. “I won’t allow this party to draw on the flyovers they oppose. I was silent then as we were hoping that the Japanese PM would be coming. I have ordered the officials to arrest them if they try to draw again,” Sarma added. “It should be in the style of our luminaries like Bishnu Rava, Jyotiprasad Agarwala, Bhupen Hazarika,” he added. Sarma also maintained that the location of such paintings is also important, pointing out that the Ganeshguri flyover was a site of the 2008 serial blasts in the state, and the memories of the victims are linked with it. “Anti-violence pictures should be drawn there. Garg’s photos can be drawn at the Chandmari flyover some distance away,” he added. PTI SSG SSG NN