There is not a whiff of racist comment in the piece unless one questions the very premise of a sharply critical piece on an artist who is not white — but that would, by itself, justify Jones’ assertion that Khakhar is getting a soft ride. A review in the Guardian is not likely to make the slightest difference to his popularity; if anything, his show at the Tate Modern will boost his fame and demand for his works.

Even so, he holds a place in the Indian art world; a nation’s art cannot but also be seen within its own social history and cultural politics. The first might have some merit — Jones may not fully grasp Bhupen’s standing in the Indian art constellation or indeed appreciate the boldness of examining his gay identity in the 1980s (though he does refer to it in his review.) But the second charge, of racism, seems somewhat misplaced. Sure, showing a well-known Indian artist in a gallery in one of the art centres of the world can only be good for Indian art, but even if it hadn’t happened, Bhupen Khakhar’s fame in India would have remained unchallenged.Titled “Bhupen Khakhar review — Mumbai’s Answer to Beryl Cook”, the review by Jonathan Jones eviscerates the Tate for holding an exhibition of “this old-fashioned, second-rate artist whose paintings are stuck in a time warp of 1980s neo-figurative cliché.So then, why bother about the review In the same vein, why get overexcited about his display at a British gallery Both show a keen desire to be accepted and acknowledged by the Western world. A more evolved ecosystem of trained critics and platforms that will publish their work will make for better art in the end. They are staid.“These paintings belong in the Royal Academy summer show, not . It was clear that the phrase “so-called” was to clarify to an American readership which did not know what a playback singer meant, but to the touchy Indian it cast aspersions on the great Bharat Ratna-winning icon.

If there is anything that the Jones review of Khakhar shows us is that we in India do not have high quality art reviewing and critiquing.Khakhar was a mostly self-taught painter and is famous for his naïf style and lack of technical finesse. For a while the film was stopped, but eventually it was released and ran to packed houses. There is much more in this vein, mostly rubbishing not just Khakhar’s work but also the possible politics behind holding the exhibition. This is hardly new. For an Indian to be shown at the highly prestigious gallery was considered an accolade and there was much celebration when the show opened, but that mood has soured after the piece appeared in the Guardian. “The only reason to give Khakhar a soft ride would surely be some misplaced notion that non-European art needs to be looked at with special critical generosity: that Khakhar’s political perspective on the world is more important than the merits of his art.”In the hallowed world of Indian art, where rude reviews are conspicuous by their absence and where Khakhar is a much-revered figure, such comments have been brushed off as ignorant and even racist.The small and somewhat cosy world of Indian art is agog — angry would be an apposite word too — at a review of an exhibition of Indian artist Bhupen Khakhar at the Tate Modern in London.

The intense colours don’t do anything on the gallery wall because they do not achieve any subtle effects or poetic contrasts. When the film The Party (1968) was released here, the Jan Sangh and many others had demanded it be banned because the lead character Hurundi P. Jump Rope The small and somewhat cosy world of Indian art is agog — angry would be an apposite word too — at a review of an exhibition of Indian artist Bhupen Khakhar at the Tate Modern in London. The rest of the time my grin became fixed as my heart sank,” he writes. Bakshi (played marvellously by Peter Sellers) spoke in a faux and exaggerated Indian accent. In the meantime, so what if Bhupen Khakhar was dissed by a British art critic.” Jones’ ire is mostly directed at the gallery, a “grandstanding institution in its proclamations on the future of art”.During the recent contretemps about the Snapchat video by Tanmay Bhat making fun of Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar, a report in the New York Times mentioned her as a “so-called playback singer”. Only very rarely — for instance in a funny caricature of a lonely Englishman in a pub — does Khakhar raise a smile.)What is about foreign approval or criticism that seems to bother us so much We glow when we are acknowledged in the salons of the West and get bitter and angry when faced with critical scrutiny or even a stray remark that may not be intended as a slight. Mediocre artists get away with producing mediocre work which then sells for high prices. Social media went berserk claiming that she had been insulted. Since then, Indians have risen to become staples in American television serials and not as figures of fun. The figures are too sloppily drawn to be engaging. Simmering over Jones’ review — a sharp and wittily written one, by the way — is thus wholly unnecessary because he is entitled to his views (and for the record, the Guardian had also published another piece on the artist — a much warmer one — by Amit Chaudhuri. His best friends will be the first to admit that. He was much loved (and promoted) by his friends and galleries and his works are in great demand

Bunnies mature at 3 to 6 months and males spray urine and females become territorial. We ended up being educated by force,” Roman said.But to the surprise of many, rabbits are not low-maintenance balls of fur, their owners say, as they require daily cleaning and specialised medical care. California became the first US state to pass a law aimed at stemming a post-holiday deluge of maturing rabbits being abandoned or euthanised.”

Eight months later, after the rabbit resisted being picked up, chewed through air conditioner wires, and their landlord demanded a non-refundable 1,000 security deposit, they surrendered the rabbit to a shelter.2 million with a dog, 47. Dozens of cities, from Boston and Chicago to Salt Lake City already have local ordinances on the books.“Once she saw the bunny and was able to hold her, she immediately fell in love,” said Roman, who lives on Long Island and supervises kitchen workers in New York City public schools.9 million with a bird and 2.6 million with a horse.But those who want to buy a live bunny as an Easter gift won’t find them for sale at pet stores this year after California became the first US state to pass a law aimed at stemming a post-holiday deluge of maturing rabbits being abandoned or euthanised.Rabbits typically live 10 years and multiply every 30 days, with an average litter of eight babies.“In the one to three months after Easter, we traditionally see a spike in shelter rabbit intakes,” said Anne Martin, executive director of the House Rabbit Society, a non-profit group that rescues rabbits and places them in foster care.But live animal sales account for just 3 per cent of the industry’s roughly 70 billion in annual sales, according to APPA’s website.Some 2.1 million with a cat, 7.Fulvio Roman, 32, whose fiancée made a “spur of the moment” decision to buy a pet store rabbit, admitted to being unprepared for the demands of its care.“In Northern California alone, thousands of stray and unwanted rabbits end up in the municipal shelter systems, and the majority of these rabbits are under a year old,” she said. When they grow less adorable, house bunnies are left in backyard hutches or abandoned in fields or woods.

The House Rabbit Society said bunnies are the third most abandoned pet in the United States. Pet stores often fail to neuter bunnies, according to House Rabbit. “Not everyone knows how much work a bunny takes.. The bulk of US pet store sales in recent years has been for food, vet care, supplies and over-the-counter medicines.“There are plenty of stuffed animals and chocolates in rabbit form,” Goodwin said.Under California’s Law, consumers can adopt animals from a shelter or buy them directly from a breeder.He said it was “unintentional animal cruelty” to keep a rabbit cooped up and to fail to give it a proper diet of grass hay.

Advocates say rabbits are also the third most euthanised, based on a 2010 study of four shelters in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay) New York: Californians can eat chocolate bunnies and snuggle plush Peter Cottontail dolls to their heart’s content this Easter.The legislation, which took effect in January, prohibits retail shops from selling commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits.The Easter Bunny, an age-old symbol of fertility and renewal, plays an endearing role in the springtime holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, tempting parents to buy one of the cuddly-looking creatures for their families.”Legislatures in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania are considering similar bills.John Goodwin, a senior director at the Humane Society of the United States, urged Americans to pass on buying a live bunny as an Easter present. The idea is to encourage adoption of rescued animals and to crack down on the sale of pets from “puppy mills,” “kitty factories” and “bunny bundlers.Disastrous consequences for industryIn California, pet industry leaders, many of whom opposed the new law, say local shops that sell animals will suffer.Unintentional Animal Cruelty“There is a common misconception that a rabbit just can sit in a cage and eat carrots,” said Jacob Levitt, 44, a dermatologist who China Hand grip manufacturers owns eight young, adopted bunnies that roam his New York City luxury apartment.Ban the bunny: California aims to end post-Easter parade of unwanted rabbits.The problem of abandonment and euthanasia is particularly acute for rabbits purchased in pet stores, as they tend to be impulse buys, especially in the days before Easter. “We didn’t know what it really took to have a bunny.“We expect the California law will have disastrous consequences for the small, local business pet stores,” said Mike Bober, president and CEO of Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.8 million US households have rabbits as pets, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), compared with 60