Taking down exhibits is 'political suppression': Miyah poets

Ashraful Hussain, a poet from Assam whose work was closed for viewing at the ongoing Serendipity Art Festival here amid the controversy over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, said it was an act of "political suppression".

The exhibits of 'Miyah poets' Hussain and Hafiz Ahmed, curated by Mangalore-based artist Sudarshan Shetty, were closed for viewing on Thursday, apparently because they referred to the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Hussain said their fundamental rights have been violated.

"I was deeply pained when I heard about this....This is political suppression," he said.

'Miyah verse' is a stream within contemporary Assamese poetry which captures anger about perceived discrimination against Assamese Muslims.

Organizers of the festival have not yet commented on why the two exhibits were taken down.

The exhibits were part of an installation titled "Look outside the House", displayed at Old Goa Medical College building in Panaji.

While one exhibit had visual depiction of Miyah poetry verse, the other allowed the viewers to write graffiti on empty canvases. Many visitors wrote slogans against the CAA and NRC.