Prominent Indian artist and curator Anita Dube has been accused of intellectual theft by poet-activist Aamir Aziz for using lines from his protest poem "Sab Yaad Rakha Jaayega" in a series of painted sculptures exhibited and offered for sale at her solo show "Three Storey House" at Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi (15 March–19 April). Aziz, who wrote the poem during the 2019 anti-CAA protests, publicly condemned Dube on social media for renaming, rebranding, and selling his work without permission or credit, calling it "theft" and "erasure." Dube acknowledged an "ethical lapse" in not seeking permission, removed the works from sale, and offered remuneration, but Aziz has sought legal counsel under India's Copyright Act of 1957.
This controversy matters because it exposes ongoing tensions around copyright, credit, and power dynamics in the Indian art world, particularly when politically charged protest poetry is commodified by established artists and commercial galleries. The case highlights the ethical responsibilities of artists when incorporating others' work, the legal protections available to creators under Indian copyright law, and the broader debate about who profits from radical art. It also follows a pattern of high-profile copyright disputes in India, underscoring the need for clearer norms around attribution and consent in contemporary art practice.