ART IN INDIA, LUST AND VANDALISM

The recent episode in Vadodara , Gujarat of a art student Mr.Chandramohan who painted a nude picture stirred a lot of heat and dust here in India -- as if the latter two are in short supply here!! But what should have been a quiet critiquing between the student and his art professor - blew in to a riotous minefield with the usual throwing of stones , burning of effigies and bric-bats the latter weilded by the police ( who in India seem to have graduated in breaking bones and limbs indiscriminately ). Protests mushroomed everywhere from art buffs ...and set me thinking ( which is unthinkable given the temp we roast in each day -- you can fry an egg literally on the sidewalk ) anyway..some 17years ago my roomate Aurele in US ( where I was at that time) an art student was in a similar situation. She was dating a to be Pastor- Div student and she wanted him to get more interested in her art work - so she quite innocently took him to an art workshop where they had a live nude women all painted up for art sketching or portraitmaking or some art work I imagine. Needless to say the Pastor was horrified and expressed his disgust to us later on. We all thought Aurele a devout church going christian had crossed the proverbial line...or rather where was the line..Aurele on the other hand felt no evil thought crossed her mind and she was as innocent as before..Of course that reminded me of Jesus's own views on these things -- if you look with lust in your eyes at a woman, you have already committed adultery..not that the Pastor was in the wrong - he was in the right - why put oneself in such a situation--Aurele was right too -- asa professional ,she viewed it thus (with no lust)SO what do my readers (if there are any) think? I think there are a few who can have the high standards that Jesus talked of ,perhaps Aurele and Mr.Chandramohan belong to that category, but for others to keep away may be the best bet... why burn the streets of your city for that? Anyway what do you think was Chandramohan or Aurele wrong.Write in JJ