MF Husain is a great artist. I have no doubt about that. I have seen him in person when he came to TIFR in Mumbai where I worked for sometime. The whole wall of TIFR lobby was decorated by his paintings in those days. I found Mr. Husain very humble. A thing which surprised me was that he walked with out shoe or slippers.
I had seen some of his paintings at Jehangir art gallery. That was about 20-25 years back. Before he became famous. In spite of my adoration for him as a painter my mind has been saddened by his recent act. He should have abstained from it at the sunset of his life.
He may have now joined the millionaire club but my respect for him has gone down and touched the -----stone.
What happened? Read this news item from Telegraph:
After receiving the IB report that said paintings such as Bharat Mata and other nude images of Hindu deities can cause communal trouble, the ministry, under Shivraj Patil, is considering prosecuting the 91-year-old painter under a section of the Indian Penal Code.
The IB report suggested that the government should take damage control steps.
Sources said the law ministry, whose opinion had been sought, has said Husain can be prosecuted under Section 295A, which deals with outraging religious feelings of a community.
The home ministry section dealing with human rights had sent photographs of seven-eight paintings by Husain to the law ministry.
These paintings are Hanuman opposite Sita sitting on the thigh of a naked Ravana, nude Sita on the long tail of Hanuman, bull copulating with Parvati and Shankar watching, Durga in sexual union with a tiger, nude Laxmi on the head of Ganesh, nude Saraswati playing the Veena and Bharat Mata in the nude.
I have no interest in knowing what the government is going to do or who takes political mileage out of this and who does n’t.
Some people would ask are there not nude paintings on temple walls?. Are there not erotic sculptures scattered around
Here he has deliberately chosen some mythological characters that stand for chastity. So his intention here is clear. This is not just one painting – a series of them and all of highly revered deities. Some time back when he drew a picture of Holocaust he drew Hitler as naked. When asked why he did that his answer was he hates Hitler. So the parallel here is obvious. The old man hates ‘it’ like anything. One thing we should understand and appreciate ‘open rebuke is better than secret hatred’. He is not hiding his hatred like many others.
Hinduism as a non-Semitic non-religious ‘religion’ has highest tolerance level. So we should forgive and forget it. Looking at the number of pictures he has drawn on this ‘blasphemous topic’ one can say that he was at this business for a long time. Only eccentric people can think of a painting like Sita sitting naked on Hanuman’s tail. We should laugh it off loudly. That way Sanatana dharma becomes greater. By protesting violently the non-religion becomes a ‘Religion’ like any other. Hinduism is an open book with loose and unnumbered pages. That is the greatness and beauty of it. Some people want to bind it and make it a monotonous Semitic religion. I am not with them.
Well, I put the title as MF & Kerala award. Let me explain why. Some grey haired Marxist ideologues in Kerala see the world differently. They write articles like ‘next month whole people of US will become communists and Fidel Castro will become
What is intriguing is the Kerala government’s stupid decision to award MF Husain now. This at this time is really a mischievous award. I think Husain will never come and accept it. He has said he has no knowledge of it. Marxists can not understand people’s mind. Marxism gives importance to matter over mind. If you think they are supporting Freedom of Expression ( that too communists with a long history ? ) then let me ask why did they kick out Tasleema Nasreen from Calcutta ?
Tailpiece : Did they announce award because Husain used more red paint in his paintings ? Lal Salaam Comrade Husain !
4 comments:
:) That`s interesting..! Amma told me that you were blogging.. I dont blog much these days. But this is perhaps going to inspire me to start again. A hearty Welcome.!
M.F.Hussain is a talented painter no doubt, but it is unfortunate that he is being known more for controversies rather than a reknowned work of art. Kerala having produced one of my most favourite anb best artists in Raja Ravi Varma can surely judge better.!
Do Keep Blogging, Wish you all the best..!
With Best Regards,
Srijith.
On Hussain..
I have seen him in many occassions during his visit to TIFR; he used to accompany JRD Tata. His paintings are still there covering the meszenene wall ... horse,elephant and all that.. His abstracts doesn't attract me. May be, my faculties are not tuned for that.
Few years back, while on my way back home in TIFR bus in an evening, I noticed that fragile figure in kurtha and pant, wearing large sunglasses, in his trademark beard,with locks of long grey hair falling on his forehead , walking upright, barefooted, on the stretch of road leading to hotel President in Cuffparade in south Muimbai. That image he has been carrying for very long years .... that non-challant exterior, matching his free spirit as reflected in his work. He became controversial because he dared to depict god in nude.
Man is born free. The capacity to think, which differentiates him from other species, made him aware of his sorroundings and his limitations. Out of his fear of the unknown, God is born. Man visualised GOD in his own form. In the beginning, GOD was also naked. Like his creator ! And when the creator started covering his body, HE was also offered clothes, animal skin or whatever .. to protect from nature or just as an oranament?...
Why can't one presume that Hussain depicted one such GOD .... pre-historic? ..when not covering the bodies was not a big issue?
You may be telling , 'foolish fellow ... how he can suggest Man created GOD? ...'
Regds
SOman
OK. Let me join you then... I accept your belief that God created Man. He created all the life and lifeless form on earth. He created earth and other planets, universe and beyond. Being the creator, he controls everything, montiors everything and without his knowledge nothing happens. Even the nano elements with its infinite nano elements is under HIS raddar!
Yes, I know. You are not angry on Hussain because he painted godess nude. You are angry because, he said he painted Hitler nude because he didn't like Hitler. From this, you derive that Hussain painted godess nude because he didn't like hindu god !! Why Hussain was angry on hindu god? Was it because, like Hitler, hindu godess was responsible for holocast somewhere ?? Any idea?
Expression of anger takes different forms...some turn viloent ... some express it through their work...
I remember this old Malayalam picture 'Nirmallyam' which got national award. In that, the climax of the picture shows the poor helpless and frustrated 'komaram' (person who takes charge of the role of god's representative in temple rituals) bangs the sword against his head and spits blood towards the diety because, he lost his only daughter, who was raped and murdered by some temple bigwigs and his GOD remained a mute spectator ....
Nobody made a big issue of 'komaram' spitting... People were more understanding then?... more appreciattive of art and artists ....acknowleging his freedom of expression ? ...
Regards
SOman
As narrated I am not against Hussein the Artist. He has all the freedom to draw what he wants.But there are people who eulogize him for what he has done - namely these paintings - which surely irritates me. Their agenda is to oppose the opposers. All have freedom. When I knew Hussein's heart was filled with hatred of a particular community ( all hindus in his paintings are naked - and he has has said he drew Hitler naked because he hates him)the adoration for him in my mind has vanished. Thats all.
Reg.Komaram :
MT was not an athiest at that time or now. Otherwise I think some protest would have been there at that time as well. I agree our tolerance level has reduced. Yet I do not want you to compare with tolerance level of other faiths. Think of Mal.film where some one is shown tearing a communist flag?
Like the change in weather pattern people's mind also changes. Nothing is static in this world.
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