In the issue dated 14 March 2011, Open ran a story on Pakistani artist A Waseel Awan (‘Blood Portrait’) who has painted a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi with his own blood. Awan wanted to gift the portrait to Manmohan Singh, but was denied a visa to India. ‘Indian authorities have denied him a visa, saying even if they did, he wouldn’t be able reach the Indian PM,’ the article said. News service PTI now reports that External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has directed the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue a visa to Awan. Shivanand Tiwary, a Rajya Sabha member, brought up the matter of Awan’s visa in the House in March itself, demanding that the visa be issued. Satyen Bordoloi, the journalist who wrote the story, called Awan to share the development. “‘What I have been trying for so long didn’t happen’, he told me. ‘The Indian media made it happen,’” says Bordoloi.
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