MF Hussain no more Indian Citizen

simran1285 thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#1

I didn't think anyone would post this because he is not really bollywood related but he did make the movie "Meenakshi" a tale of three cities with Tabu and Kunal Kapoor so I will put this here. Mods can close if irrelevent.

I wanted to add how unfortunate and sad it is for a world renowned painter who has spent almost his entire life in India has now given up his Indian citizenship because of the way he was treated. I don't want to add too much as it might offend someone hence will just let you guys read and add your opinions. India does not know what it has lost

I love India but country rejected me, laments M.F. Husain

Tue, Mar 2 07:05 PM

New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) Political leaders, intellectuals and artists in India kept silent when right-wing outfits targeted him, legendary painter M.F. Husain says 'with deep pain' in his heart.

'I still love India. But India doesn't need me. I am saying this with deep pain in heart,' Husain told Gulf Madhyamam, Kerala-based Malayalam daily Madhyamam's Doha edition, in an interview.

'India is my motherland. I can't hate my motherland. But India rejected me. Then why should I stay in India?' the 95-year-old painter said in his first interview after accepting Qatar citizenship.

'When Sangh Parivar outfits targeted me, all kept silent. No one, including political leadership, artists or intellectuals came forward to speak for me. But I know the fact that 90 percent of the people of India love me. They are with me,' he said.

'Only 10 percent of people, including some politicians, are against me,' Husain said.

Husain has dozens of lawsuits against him across the country for his paintings of goddesses that some Hindus find sacrilegous. The artist has been living abroad as a fugitive since 2006.

He said he was not worried as people across the world love him.

'India's continuing governments could not protect me. So, it is very difficult for me to stay in such a country. Politicians are eyeing only votes.'

'Now, they are asking me to come back. I was in exile...There was no one to speak for me. No governments recalled me. Now they are asking me to return after one country offered me citizenship. How can I trust a political leadership that refused to protect me?' he said.

'Is there any surety that I would be given protection in India?' Husain asked.

He stressed that the cases against him went against an artist's self-expression, and maintained that he did not want to hurt anyone's sentiments.

'It is a move against art and the artist's self-expression. I never intended to hurt anyone's sentiments through the art,' he said.

'I only expressed my soul's creativity through art. Art's language is universal language. People who love it beyond all narrow viewpoints are my strength,' he said.

'I enjoy complete freedom in Qatar. Now Qatar is my place. Here no one controls my freedom of expression. I am very happy here,' he said.

Husain added that he would visit India, if he gets the opportunity.

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HariOm thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#2
He drew vulgar pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the name of Art. I am glad he's not in India anymore. Hopefully he won't disrespect any other religion.
simran1285 thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#3

Originally posted by: HariOm

He drew vulgar pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the name of Art. I am glad he's not in India anymore. Hopefully he won't disrespect any other religion.

Not to disrespect but isn't it true that many temples have stone statues of hindu gods and goddesses that are naked? I was in India over the summer and I saw some myself in some caves and according to the people they were hundreds of years old.😕
qazplm thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#4

Originally posted by: HariOm

He drew vulgar pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the name of Art. I am glad he's not in India anymore. Hopefully he won't disrespect any other religion.



It's a democracy...every citizen has the right of expression. I resent it when people are questioned about their nationality. It's a sad and shameful loss for India.🤢
Aanandaa thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#5

Originally posted by: simran1285

Not to disrespect but isn't it true that many temples have stone statues of hindu gods and goddesses that are naked? I was in India over the summer and I saw some myself in some caves and according to the people they were hundreds of years old.😕



Ermm which Hindu God or Goddess statue did you see in naked??? We are not talking about the Ajanta and Ellora sculptures or even the ones that are carved out on the outside of the various temples...We are talking about the actual Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali ma's depictions...

I saw the paintings and they border on plain vulgarity which offended my sensibilities...The guy had been warned time and again but he didn't pay heed to the Hindu sensibilities...Hindus are predominantly very very tolerant...that doesn't mean people just take advantage of it and trample people's religious sentiments...

Here are some of his so called paintings:




The first one is the naked Goddess Lakshmi sitting on Ganesh ji....and the second one is the naked Goddess Saraswati....

I don't care if he is a great artist or whatever...but the guy has no right to live with the people whose sentiments he cannot respect...


Aanandaa thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#6

Originally posted by: qazplm



It's a democracy...every citizen has the right of expression. I resent it when people are questioned about their nationality. It's a sad and shameful loss for India.🤢



So does a democracy means people having a free handle to run over and trample people's religious sentiments???

Its not like he hasn't been warned...Unfortunately he doesn't care for Indian citizenship...otherwise he would never ignore the repeated requests/warnings etc....The guy really asked for it....
Relda thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#7
Democracy doesn't mean that you belittle and denigrate the religious sentiments of others. Just look at Salman Rushdie and Jyllen Posten Danish poster controversy (amongs a zillion other cases) to see the consequences of some literary belittling of Islam. I would like to see what would have happened if Hussain had drawn naked pictures of Muhammad or something. He wouldn't get a citizenship in any country in this world.
jjairam thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#8
The truth is that he was warned time and time again by Hindu groups to not trample with their feelings and he just ignored it because he was feted by the wealthy and was safe in India. It is only when he got threatened that he ran away to a "safe" place and whines about freedom of expression. Would any Islamic person tolerate this insult to their prophet? The Van Gogh incident in Denmark is a case in point.
The two pictures depicted here are nothing. I have seen really vulgar paintings of him depicting Sita and Hanuman - from the Ramayana.
No religion should be insulted, no religious feelings trampled with. These are universal principles. You cannot say that its OK to insult these people because you don't share their beliefs.
As for stone sculptures in temples, they are not naked. Clothes and ornaments are carved into them. Most importantly, without understanding the religion or the architecture behind temple carvings, its not correct to comment on a culture that is centuries old.
Here is an important point - why does he choose Hindu Gods and Goddesses? I challenge him to do something vulgar about any other religion and claim it was under artistic license. He was deliberately baiting a community under the freedom of artistry.
Its neither a sad nor a shameful loss for India - I say good riddance.
Edited by jjairam - 16 years ago
qwww thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#9
Didnt this whole controversy happen years ago ? must be more than a decade ago - why is he changing his citizenship now?
His situation was nothing like Salman Rushdie's tho - he didnt have a priceon his head. If he really feared for his life he would have done it way back then when emotions were high and the Hinditva groups were threatening him.I doubt if anyone cares about him right now - just seems like a person who is trying to stir the pot.
An artist is one who inspires and brings joy to people unlike pseudo artists like this one who is looking to cash in on controversies by knowingly upsetting the religious sentiments of a group of people.he did it because he knew he could get away with it - if it were some other religions things woiuld have been very differnt.
SolidSnake thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#10
Funny thing is that he has accepted Qatar's citizenship. Qatar...a theocracy! Haha...what a joke. Let him draw a simple portrait of Prophet Mohammed there...

That said I think he should be protected and allowed in India. There are people in India who say worse things about Hinduism (Kancha Illiah types)...but I personally have no problems with such people....jitne muh utni baatein, kuchh faraq to padhne wala hai nahi.

But the rules should be same for every religion, no special treatment to anyone.

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