Come Home Hussain
A barefooted painter lives in Cuffe Parade. He spends his time globe-hopping when he’s not obsessed with the anatomical details of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. In an interview to the Sunday Slimes some years ago, he defiantly proclaims that he neither “regrets” nor “apologizes” for his “art,” and he ignores attacks to his “art.” But he realizes that there are limits to art. A highly illustrative case of this lofty humane spirit is when he withdrew Meenaxi, his labour of love because it grievously wounded fragile sentiments.
Artists are complex, curious, sensitive, sentimental, and weird creatures. Let’s give them that freedom because their selfless service to society justly extracts that tax from all of us.
But are they above law?
Hussain seems to think so.
A court in Haridwar declared Husain a ‘proclaimed offender’ for repeatedly ignoring the legal summons and not appearing in the case.
And attached his Cuffee Parade property. CNN IBN’s reportage is also, ad nauseam, instructive:
The artist had faced a scathing attack from Hindu fundamentalists for his semi nude paintings of ‘Bharatmata’ and ‘Krishna’ that were found to be “offending” and in bad taste to the religious sensibilities.
Notice how Bharatmata, Krishna, and offending are put in quotes while the abusive term Hindu fundamentalists is used as though the definition is set in stone.
Hussain spends his time shuttling between London, Dubai, and Qatar, all safe Islamic havens. I’m sure the art-appreciating Sheikhs and kings feel a special kinship with him for his appeal portrayals of Kaffir Gods and Goddesses. But the real reason is hidden here:
The artist, shuttling between Dubai and London, continues to stay away from India reportedly due to fears that he may be arrested in connection with the case.
Hussain disappoints me again after his Meenaxi stunt. Hussain is not a common criminal. He’s both a Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. Plus, it is no crime in Secular India to hurt Hindu sentiments paint nude Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Why should he fear when he has done no wrong? I think he should come home pronto and actually court arrest. It neatly agrees with his care-a-damn persona to court arrest instead of doing a Dawood Ibrahim.
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The guy is a born manipulator, he knows perfectly well which community is capable of taking his life. Hence, he withdrew Meenaxi from the theatres, for fear of the upholders of the non-minority religion of peace(NMROP)
All these incidents remind me of the arguement I give to my liberal-minded friend. It is easy to uphold liberal in the US (most liberal values do apeal to the educated mind) because the country has a very efficient law and order system and an extremely effective judiciary. On the other hand, in India, it clearly is a mobocracy, hence a liberal has no chance of survival if he speaks up against the non-minority religion of peace(NMROP). Hence, he has to be selectively liberal, by turning a blind eye to the abrahamic religions and only denigrating the pagans and heathens. This reeks of double standards, of extreme opportunism on part of the Indian neo-liberals and pseudo-secularists, telling the average man that the liberal guy is basically extremely selfish and is doing things to suit his own selfish motive.
It is much like socialism:- the concept is extremely idealistic and great, but cannot work in the real world, where most people are selfish and would not think twice before defecting.
Mayuresh you nailed it perfectly!! Which is exactly our beef with Hussain. I fully support his right to draw and paint and saw whatever the hell he wants offending whoever he wants. But the outrage is in the selective defense of his “art” by the secular brigade while baffling silence dawns when mullahs call for the head of a Danish cartoonist. Supposedly that is all fine because “minority sentiments” were being hurt.
I think Sandeep will agree with me that he and anyone else should have a right to paint whatever the hell they want, but selective prosecution and persecution is hypocritical.
just a thought came to my mind about something called Jyllands posten cartoons!!!
and persecution etc, I dont remember cnnibn even making a note of it
bloody bastard secular networks
Sandeep,
I read your article later, I first saw this news (about Husain’s property being attached) on Headlines Today. And the language of the report was made to portray Husain as a poor old victim, who is cowering with fear from the “Hindu fundamentalists” and seeking refuge outside “his own country”!
Bah! Not a word about the fact that he is not replying to the summons of the Court.
Then the usual ramblings about how there are so many cases lying with the courts and how people have no better things to do, blah blah!
Wow! Looks like the poor innocent victim is also very shrewd!
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/08husain1.htm
They should paste the Jyllands Posten cartoon posters outside these cable news channel offices and let them defend the Dane’s freedom of speech. Paste a few on Rajdeeps/Barkhas et al cars’ and enjoy the show. Just don’t forget to call in few “peace activists” once the pasting job is done and keep a camera ready.
THE BEST WAY TO CONDEMN AND APPEASE BOTH LIBERAL AND HINDU/CONCEREND PUBLIC WOULD BE TO ALLOW PUBLISHING OF BANNED CARTONS OF THE PROPHET, AS HAS BEEN BANNED BY LIBERAL AND SECULAR COMBINE. OR M F HUSSAIN BE ASKED TO SHOW THE SAME RESPECT (BY PAINTING NUDE THE BHARAT MATA, SARASWATI, KRISHNA ETC..)BY PAINTING IN THE SIMILAR WAY THE MUSLIM/CHRISTIAN DEITIES. LET THE LIBERAL ENJOY THE LIBERAL ART. PLEASE LEAVE ALONE THE HINDU GODS, AND PAINT NUDE OR WHATEVER YOUR MADHURI AND ILKS.
This is really interesting! Read the last article on the page: “MF Husain’s Hypocrisy!”
http://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/mfhussain-campaign/
I do not understand this hypocracy.
we can conclude Muslim community is very immature(including their well read intellectuals). They come on streets when some guy from a far away land
draws a cartoon. I am quite sure that the goons in the rally may not be able to point out the cartoonist’s country in the map. What Hussain & other artitsts & intellectuals were doing then ? Did they come out in rally in support of the danish cartoonist?. I do not condemn Hussain for his drawings, he is an artist and his expression will be some what skewed. But the hypocracy stinks.
similar double standard are observed in
1. We need to condemn loudly about Palestine, we silently watch kashmir
2. Condemning entire Gujrat, when ethnic cleansing(in lakhs) was done by muslim fundamentalists in kashmir.
3. I do not approve animal sacrifices, but accept bakrid killing as it is meant for universal brotherhood(mentioned in school text books).
I thought (when i was a teenager 25 yrs ago) that religion will vanish after the advances in science. Now it is worse than the past. Entire middle east & half of asia is reeling under fanatics, who do not have any regard for other religions. Here our guys are not understanding the consequences. they even recommend reservations, and turning a blind eye to their fanatic acts. This is like Hitler in his youth,wanting protection for his party and afterwards you know what happened. But if any one asks any questions about muslims, our intellectuals will brand them as facist,RSS blah blah etc.,
See the wikipedia postings on the cartoon, the reactions from muslims suggest death to the cartoonist. we are in medieval ages still.
Some introspection is needed by muslim (even our secular )intellectuals and they should educate their mases to accept other view points and behave in a much matured & civilized manner. (this is applicable to all other religions as well, but we see it more prominently lacking in muslim society)