Vidya Prabhu
At a time when the art market in the country is booming and the art fraternity should have every reason to be happy with the soaring prices, I feel very sad to say that it’s the moral policing that is adversely affecting them (the art brigade). In fact, in Mumbai, it has gone beyond a joke. It’s extremely disturbing to see works of an artist like MF Hussain being withdrawn from exhibitions and even charity auctions. Even the recently held charity auction organised by an NGO saw the same happen.
While I didn’t see the work at the auction, I did take a look at it some ten days before the event when I was in London. I even met Hussain then. I can confidently say that the painting in question was completely innocuous with no religious connotations whatsoever.
All the same, it is understandable why the work had to be removed at the last minute. For I could see the heightened security and element of threat and risk involved; the organisers had no option really.
It’s our government that needs to give up on this ‘military’ approach; freedom is very important for any kind of growth and artistic freedom is part of this broader concept of freedom. Even the Chandra Mohan controversy was a tragic one. I just wish we could put an end to all this.
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Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1133924
Editors’ note:
Inclusion of any painting of MF Hussain for a noble cause can’t be justified at the cost of national honour and religious sentiments of crores of Bharatiyas and Hindus. Hussain is guilty of offending Hindus and Bharatiyas for painting nude and blasphemous pictures of Hindu deities and Bharat Mata thereby hurting their religious and patriotic sentiments. More than 1250 police complaints have been lodged against him and lot of court cases are going on against him throughout Bharat for his offences. He has been accused of outraging religious sentiments, promoting enimity between different religious groups, selling obscene material and disturbing National integrity, thereby committing offences under several sections of the Indian Penal Code. He has also been accused of committing offences under section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act on account of the aforesaid paintings drawn by him.
In this situation, he is running away from the realities of his punishable offences. Inclusion of any painting of MF Hussain or taking his side will glorify an accused person which itself will be an offence. Will the Muslim world allow glorification of Denmark’s cartoonist who had drawn denigrating pictures of Prophet Mohammad, in the name of freedom of expression?
Be it a charity auction or the sale of a completely innocuous painting of M.F. Hussain, the point in question is that MF Hussain, a painter who has trampled upon the sentiments of Bharatiyas, should not be allowed to go scot-free, selling his paintings and earning name, fame and wealth in the country where he should, in reality, be behind bars. Thus, his paintings should be removed from all auctions and charity sales in Bharat and this issue should be followed up till he gets adequately punished for all his wrongdoings.
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