Wall of shame

The (in)famous history associated with attacks on artists

- FE FEATURES

At the onset of this week, The Habitat—a studio for performing artists like comedians, poets, and musicians in Mumbai’s Char—put out a statement saying it will temporarily shut its premises. Recently, The Habitat (and the building that it is housed in, Hotel Unicontinental) was allegedly ransacked by workers of the Uddhav Shinde-led Shiv Sena, who had taken offence to the lyrics of a parody song by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra. What followed was a political slugfest. At least 12 workers of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena were arrested, subsequently granted bail, a first information report was filed against Kamra, and the latter was granted interim bail by the Madras High Court too.