CONTROVERSY AND M F HUSSAIN

The controversy regarding the acceptance of citizenship of Qatar by M F Hussein, a noted painter of India, was very much in news recently. First, the controversy aroused out when he made the naked paintings of Hindu’s goddess in 1970 came into lime light in 1995 and he forced himself to self exiled as more than 900 cases are registered in different courts across the country for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus. The controversy again aroused out as he accepted the Qatar nationality and Indian government couldn’t do anything to protect such a notable painter. He earned a precarious living as an artist. The government also kept their silence over this.

Concerning all the matter, there are two ways to see this whole issue. First, I ask what would have been the fate of such artists if he had born in the county like Saudi Arabia, or any other gulf countries. What happened to Salman Rushdie, a world class author, for his novel, the satanic verses, and a people from a country declared the fatwa against him. He had to hide all those years and that novel caused lives of 37 people across the whole world. If talk about this, then nothing much happened to M F Hussein. I accept that everyone has freedom of expression. Nevertheless, they should also know that freedom is okay till you are not violating the freedom of others. I apply same to M F Hussein. As an artist, he is free to paint anything but he cannot hurt the sentiments of other’s. I must say, he never showed his love for his own religion.

Second, If we talk about his paintings. According to me, as an artist he has every right to paint whatever he wants to paint. I asked what he did wrong by painting the naked portrait of Hindu goddess. He is an artist and this is his way to earn a bread and roti. In fact, India claims to be democratic country ready to absorb the very idea. Then what happened now? The whole controversy aroused out because he does belong to some other religion. According to me, he painted what our country is showing from centuries. If I talk about the others religions, there is no such scriptures, no monuments which shows any exotic paintings, exotic descriptions of their god. However, in India, there are lots of temples, like Khajuraho, and many others in the south India, which has the naked paintings sculptures on their wall. He painted what India was in their ancient times. He revealed the ancient heritage the India through his art, i.e. is paintings. Religion and creative freedom are once again on a collision course!

After looking on these points, I must say that his paintings in his own frame of reference were correct but he hasn’t any right to hurt the sentiments of Hindu’s. Even he didn’t apologize for this. He said that he feels precarious while in India. This is a shame for the government that he is unable to protect the heritage of country. But what I must say that He should apologize for this publicly.