There is something distant about today’s India –– neither does it feel like home, nor does it feel like something to be proud of. The kinds of changes the country has seen over the past years have pushed it in a direction that is undemocratic and far from free.
Capturing this essence overall is artist Shantanu Sharma, in his artwork ‘Eye For An Eye’. The Indian flag is considered sacred by most –– to take it apart or tarnish it is usually taken as disrespect. However, in his artwork, by way of knocking off the Ashoka Chakra (or Dharma Chakra), it signifies the India of 2021 and all that led up to it –– curbs on free speech, attacks on secularism, depletion of equality and much more. The wheel of law seems to have been displaced, just like in the artwork.
‘Eye For An Eye’ is a simple yet impactful piece of art –– without noise and complication, it conveys the state of our country. In its straightforward way, it communicates the dire situation India is in and how we need strong reform to bring it to a point where all its citizens are cared for, and treated equally.
Find Shantanu Sharma here.
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