‘This is theft, erasure’: Poet Aamir Aziz accuses Anita Dube of plagiarism, artist apologises

Poet Aamir Aziz on Sunday accused artist Anita Dube of plagiarising one of his poems in a recent exhibition in Delhi.

“My poem Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega has been used without my knowledge, consent, credit or compensation by the internationally celebrated artist Anita Dube,” Aziz alleged on social media.

Aziz first shared the poem on his YouTube channel in January 2020 amid the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

Aziz said he was informed on March 18 that phrases from the poem had been “stitched into a work on display” by Dube in her exhibition, which was titled Timanjala Ghar, or “Three-storyed Home”, at Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi.

In a post on Instagram, Aziz identified four pieces in which his poem was used. The artworks are abstract pieces made with fabric, wood and paint. The gallery said they would not be sold until the matter is resolved.

Aziz’s answers to questions sent by Scroll were awaited. This story will be updated once we receive a response.

In a statement shared with Scroll on Monday, Dube said she hoped to “resolve this issue in a fair manner”.

“I am replying to this social media trial initiated by Aamir Aziz with sadness,” Dube’s statement read. “I have been in love with Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega, especially some lines which swirled around in my head like dervishes… The intent of...

Read more

News