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Editor-in-Chief,
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M.F. Husain surely wouldn’t
have used his freedom of
expression with Islam, but
You can advertise here
let’s still give him the
freedom to express
Arindam Chaudhuri, Editor-in-chief, The
Sunday Indian

This whole controversy about M.F. Husain, his exile

and his citizenship of Qatar has been so convoluted
that ordinary Indians are confused. One big reason
for this confusion is that the whole debate around
M.F. Husain and his paintings has raised so many
questions about Hinduism, Islam, tolerance and
secularism that simple facts are being ignored. Let
me start by pointing out some things our so called
liberal journalists and intellectuals are afraid to
admit. The fact is: many Hindus have, and will find
some of the paintings of M.F. Husain quite offensive.
Showing grotesquely nude portraits of Hindu deities
is bound to offend many Hindus. And I think so
called intellectuals who call these offended Hindus
bigoted and intolerant are actually even more blindly
bigoted and intolerant. How can you defend the right
of M.F. Husain to offend and deny the equal right of
some people to feel offended?

There is yet another valid point that many offended

Hindus have raised. And the point cannot be ignored
even if it is politically incorrect. What would have
been the fate of M.F. Husain if he were a citizen of
Pakistan or Saudi Arabia and claimed that he – as an
artist – has the intellectual freedom to portray
revered historical and mythical figures of Islam in a
manner that deeply offends devout Muslims? In fact,
the question to be asked is: would M.F. Husain
would have invoked artistic freedom and done what
Salman Rushdie did when he wrote The Satanic
Verses? Let me go further and offend our so called
intellectuals: Would M.F. Husain – now that he is a
free citizen of Qatar – behave like an iconoclast
artist and offend the Muslim citizens of that country?
We all know now – at least going by media reports
of his love for some finer things of life – that he is
not a devout Muslim the way that term is
(mis)understood nowadays. We also know what his
fate would have been in Saudi Arabia.

So, I personally think it is absurd to portray M.F.

Husain as a martyr and a fearless fighter of artistic
freedom. And yet, I think his exile and citizenship is
actually a big loss for India. And for the Idea of
India.

Let me start with the least important reasons why!

For centuries, Hindu temples, monuments and
literature have portrayed the erotic as one more
manifestation of the so many paths towards
spirituality and salvation. The fact is: Konark,
Khajuraho, Ajanta and others are proof that
eroticism was celebrated by at least a section of
Hindus. We revere Lord Krishna and yet celebrate
his interaction with the Gopis. In sharp contrast,
Islam and Christianity have always been far more
puritanical when it comes to their deities. You will
not find any temple, scripture, painting or anything
that would portray Jesus Christ and Prophet
Mohammed in the manner that Hindus sometimes
portray Lord Krishna. To that extent, you can argue
that M.F. Husain was merely repeating what many
Hindus before him have done.

The second reason I would add is the fact that India

claims to be a democracy where people have the
right to free speech and artistic expression. This line
of thought argues that Indians have the right to
offend and that a democracy should be large hearted
enough to absorb such provocations. After all, did
not B.R. Ambedkar ‘offend’ Hinduism so many times
before and after he converted to Buddhism? Was not
Periyar of Tamil Nadu a leader and thinker who
delighted in insulting symbols of Hinduism? How
about the slogans of Bahujan Samaj Party sometime
ago, which went like: “Tilak, Taraazu aur Talwaar;
Inko Maro Joote Chaar”? What about the Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi allegedly
insulting Lord Ram during the Sethu Samudram
controversy? The logic is: if so many have been
‘insulting’ Hinduism, why single out Husain and
target him for the same?

Personally, I would leave such reasons to our so

called intellectuals to debate and congratulate each
other over their so called commitment to secularism,
free speech and democracy. I think the persecution
of M.F. Husain and his exile from India are bad for
the country because of a more important reason.
India has always been the land that gave shelter to
the persecuted who sought relief, succour and a
place to practice their faith. This has not only saved
the ‘refugees’ from death and persecution, it has
also enriched India. The best example of this is the
history of Parsis in India. India – through ages – has
been a land where different ideologies, faiths and
creeds have coexisted. More important, India has
withstood repeated onslaughts to smother this
celebration of diversity.

I am again being politically incorrect. But despite the

best efforts of Mahmood Ghaznavi who destroyed
the Somnath Temple – apart from God knows how
many other temples – the temple, and the faith,
survive in tact. Despite the best efforts of Christian
missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries, the
‘heathen’ Hindus managed to keep faith in their
rituals, deities, festivals and celebrations. Please
remember: India is the only major nation in the
world which has been ruled directly by propagators
of Islam and Christianity, yet not succumbed to their
lure – either through sword, ideology or bribe. The
only other major nations of the world who have
retained their ancient spiritual heritage are China
and Japan. And the two were never conquered and
ruled by ‘outsiders’ the way India was.

That is the India I love so passionately. It is the

India that has the capacity and power to absorb all
ideas – even if they seem to insult Hinduism. I have
heard of people who crave for their deities and
prayers in Saudi Arabia because that country simply
does not allow you to practice any faith other than
Islam. It is just that today’s intellectuals are so
cowardly and timid that they fail to highlight this
simple fact. I urge all fellow citizens of India to
welcome back M.F. Husain with open arms and allow
him to paint whatever he wants. He will probably
enrich our civilization, than damage it with some
childish paintings!

Comments
 Dharam From Mumbai--
4/4/2010 1
I completely agree with this piece of
article........ I just cant understand why the
particular groups and the media attack any
one individual for doing a thing and exempt
others of the same activities.......... the media
and people are bias...

Arjumand Abid From Sharjah- U.A.E.--

3/31/2010
Congrats for writing such a bold and beautiful
article. No doubt Mr. Arindam, Indian
journalism needs people like you, who can
write openly despite opposition from many
corners. But I do not agree with your view as
he may come and do what ever he want
again. Yes he should be allowed to the
country but with the guarantee that he will
not be showing any things in his paintings
which hurt any one, after all India is the
largest democracy and others also have same
right to express their dissatisfaction on any
thing which hurt them..... Arjumand Abid

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