'Not just the cow, nowadays any issue can be problematic.'
'All animals are related in some way or other to some God, so what kind of image do we create now?'
Artist Chintan Upadhyay was detained by the Jaipur police on Saturday, November 21, for an aerial installation of a cow, intended to convey the message of saving the animal from eating plastic waste.
The cow -- made of plastic and hooked to a balloon -- was installed at the Jawahar Kala Kendra, a centre of cultural and artistic activities, and floating at a height of around 200 feet. This caught the attention of unnamed activists who complained to the police.
The cow art was dragged down and Upadhyay were detained by the Jaipur police, for which two policemen have now been suspended by the Rajasthan government.
Chintan Upadhyay spoke to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com about the incident and the decline in artistic freedom in Modi's India.
Why did you create a plastic cow balloon?
We are an artists' organisation. It is an artists' initiative called Sandharb (context). We invite artists from all over the world to create art in public places. We do a lot of community art work in rural areas and small towns where contemporary art does not reach.
This time we had been invited by the Jaipur Art Summit. We had invited four artists from different countries and three artists from India. Our theme was tourists in Rajasthan. On that basis, Siddharth, who is based in Jaipur, said 'Let's make art about what tourists see.'
If you go to Jaipur, you will see many abandoned cows. People rear them till they have utility and then, once they age, abandon them.
The cows are literally dying on the streets from consuming plastic and it is evident across the city.
We felt it is very important for us to save our animals from this pollution. With that in mind we decided to make the cow with a plastic balloon.
So your theme was the protection of cattle.
Exactly. It was merely an image of a cow, not a real animal. It is not the issue of the cow, it is about an image of any animal.
All animals are related in some way or other to some God, so what kind of image do we create now?
From now on, we have to be extra careful. We were never expecting something like this, especially from the police.
When the police came to arrest you, did you explain your theme and the imagery used to them?
We tried explaining to them that we were artists. We told them what we were doing. We even asked them to bring the complainants so we could clarify our intentions.
We were trying to engage with them. I feel the police feared the cow balloon would create a ruckus.
They never even told us who had complained against us. The police were telling us that we must write an essay, that we must write something, on the balloon to explain our intentions. It was very complicated.
So the police wanted you to write something like 'Save the cow' on the balloon?
Yes. Why then do we need art? Why do we even need artists if we write down everything?
Violence as a reaction to an image cannot be the solution.
The most important thing is that when we were ready to talk, we should not have been forced to remove the work and thrown out.
As an artist, do you think there is intolerance in our society?
It is a very sad state. I don't know what is happening to our culture. Such intolerance is very dangerous to society. When the police start telling us what to do. It is not their job.
They start putting a scanner on everything. Then the situation becomes very complicated.
In retrospect, do you feel you shouldn't have created this work of art?
Why should we have art at all?
If they are going to tell us what to do, then why we should have art?
Why should anybody make art?
By making art we take a risk.
When we asked the police who made the complaint, they simply replied, 'Aam aadmi (common man).'
Who is this aam aadmi? He is a faceless entity. As an artist, I am taking the risk to come out in the public space. We were trying to engage with people. Why can't our detractors do the same?
What did the police tell you during your detention?
They just told to sit still whilst they asked about our work. They understood the concept. Some people from the (right wing) organisations understood our work.
They even went up to the 'cow' and prayed to it. That was somewhat ridiculous. They even put a maala (garland) on it.
So it ended on a peaceful note.
Yes, but it left a big scar on our souls because of the way we were treated by the police. It was very sad. We were detained for 2, 3 hours.
Do you think that in the aftermath of the Dadri lynching, everyone has to be careful in dealing with issues related to the cow?
Not just the cow, nowadays any issue can be problematic.
If tomorrow I draw the kalpavriksha (the tree of life), they will say how can I do that?
Who are these people to decide?
People should know the context and should not go with those who are basically hooligans. They just want to come into the news. They want to pose for the cameras and go their way.
How many cows have died from the consumption of plastic in Jaipur?
Many studies have been done about that. There are photos posted on Facebook to verify our claims. And why only cows? Many animals are dying because of eating plastic.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has transferred the policemen who detained you.
Prompt action is a good sign for the country. It is the right way to save culture.
In the future, will you create independently or will there be fear in your mind?
It is time we come out and express our feeling. We will not let our culture die just like this.
What culture?
Contemporary culture! The way we think. India boasted a culture of free thinking. This is what India was.
So you think India is no longer a culture of free thinkers?
Can you see that? Can you go out and say something about the cow or about any other animal?
This is how culture mutates. It destroys slowly.
