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http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HB11Df06.html
When a Muslim paints nude Hindu gods
By Siddharth Srivastava
NEW DELHI - Fortunately, there have not been virulent protests in India against
the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, though close to 150
million Muslims reside in the country. However, attention is being drawn to
Hindu fundamentalists taking umbrage at India's top artist, M F Husain, who has
been booked by police for "hurting sentiments of people" with paintings that
depict nude gods.
The tirade against Husain also puts into question the often-held perception
that Islam is the least tolerant of all religions to any act that is perceived
as blasphemy. Fringe elements exist everywhere, though it is also true that the
extent and intensity of protests by some of those who follow Islam set the
religion apart.
Last year, Husain's painting The Last Supper sold through an online purchase
for US$2 million, the highest ever by an Indian. He is more than 90 years old,
sprightly, very creative, known for quirks such as walking barefoot and having
an obsession for Bollywood actresses, prominent among them being Madhuri
Dikshit, whom he has painted as well as featured in a movie.
He is not new to controversy and has invited the ire of right-wing sections in
the past because of his naked and provocative paintings of various Hindu
deities (Durga, Sita, Draupadi, Saraswati), though such depictions are very
much part of Indian heritage, whether at Khajuraho or the Konark Sun Temple.
The fact Husain is a Muslim who chooses to depict Hindu gods the way he wants
has always angered Hindu extremists. This time the fury is over a painting that
depicts Bharatmata ("Mother India") in the nude. The painting is part of a
series themed for "Mission Kashmir" that are to be auctioned on the Internet to
raise funds for victims of the earthquake that struck the state in October.
Other prominent artists such as Anjolie Ela Menon and Sanjay Bhattacharya are
also participating.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which subscribes to Hindu majority
rule, has severely criticized Husain, with party general secretary Vinay
Katiyar demanding the arrest of the painter. Extremist Hindu organizations have
been more aggressive. "Being a good Muslim, Husain should know the worldwide
reaction over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers," a
former Bajrang Dal (right-wing Hindu outfit) chief said. "He, too, should
refrain from repeatedly hurting the sentiments of Hindus."
A case has been registered against Husain in Mumbai and Thane by radical Hindu
organizations - the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS, for Hindu reawakening) and
the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) - for hurting sentiments of people.
The HJS has also appealed to President Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh to take action against the "anti-national and perverse attitude of great
artists". The deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, R R Patil, has said
state police are conducting a probe into the allegations. The HJS has also
organized protests in Goa, Karanataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Husain, meanwhile, has apologized and though the offending painting has been
withdrawn from the website, it has already sold for about $175,000, which will
bring some succor to the victims of the earthquake.
At one level such intolerance to free expression is a reflection of the way
India is - a multi-layered and cultural cauldron of classes, castes and
religion, liberal and conservative opinions.
It is also a sad commentary that radical and extremist elements hold people to
ransom whenever they wish, a wasted vengeance that is often buttressed by
politicians to fulfill their own narrow gains.
As in any other society, one has to live with culture vigilantes and they are
well within their rights to protest through legal means. However, it is the
extent to which they affect popular imagination, cause violence, disrupt normal
existence and cost lives that calls for different action against them.
As has been argued very well by Asia Times Online's Pakistan bureau chief, Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Stoking the jihadi fires, February 8), in the case of the
cartoons of the Prophet, it is simply playing into the hands of the jihadis.
In India, such radicals are trouble-mongers and publicity seekers who do not
enjoy popular support and look for excuses to create a fuss. Even if one were
to consider the hypothetical situation of Husain deliberately trying to hurt
Hindu sentiments (many say this is unlikely), ignoring him is a better
punishment, with those who buy his art left to take their own decision.
Fundamentalist Hindus, cadres of the VHP or the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh
(RSS), Shiv Sena that allies with the BJP at the national level, have attacked
movie halls that screen controversial films and art galleries (including
Husain's exhibition), as well as protested India-Pakistan cricket matches,
couples holding hands, women wearing jeans and celebrations linked to Western
influences such as Valentine's Day. And all in the name of cleansing society
for a higher social value system.
Last year, Sikhs protested against the Bollywood film, Jo Bole So Nihaal,
starring top actor Sunny Deol. What followed were bomb blasts, believed by the
police to be the handiwork of Sikh extremists, at movie halls in New Delhi that
killed and crippled many.
Muslim clerics, too, clamor for their bit of attention. In a reflection that
radicals will be such, whether Hindu or Muslim, they have criticized the Husain
paintings. The Muslim religious leaders claim to understand the sentiments of
Indian Muslims and the correct interpretation of Islamic tenets. Political
parties are averse to take them on as somehow a view has gained ground that
siding with the religious heads conveys an image of being pro-Muslim.
By voting en masse, Muslims offer a powerful vote bank. Such a strategy has
been followed for long by national parties such as the Congress party in the
past (the Shah Bano case, wherein the Congress in power overturned a ruling by
the Supreme Court to provide maintenance due to divorce) and continues to the
present.
Emboldened, Muslim clerics continue to issue irrational diktats. They include
the instance of the alleged rape of a Muslim woman, Imrana, by her
father-in-law. The clerics declared that Imrana should treat her husband as a
son and move in with her alleged rapist. In another recent case, Muslim women
were asked not to contest in local elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and
those who went out to vote were ordered to wear veils.
India's tennis sensation Sania Mirza has been a victim. While Mirza is a
national icon because of her tennis victories, fatwas (edicts) that she "covers
up" have continued to fly, issued by known and unknown Muslim clerics. They
want her, as a devout Muslim, to wear long pants and full-sleeved shirts, the
way it is with sportswomen of Muslim countries such as Iran or Pakistan.
Issues related to sex, too, invite as much attention as religion. Recently,
Khusboo, rated among the top actresses in southern India - with temples
dedicated to enable fans to worship her - said in a magazine interview that
premarital sex was okay provided it was safe, consensual and between adults.
The brouhaha included statewide protests, rallies, burning and beating of her
effigies with chappals (slippers) as well as court cases. Local politicians
keen to play the caste card because of upcoming elections in the state fanned
the fire.
A local court (as affected by the social and cultural milieu) issued a no-bail
warrant against the beleaguered actress, who was at pains to explain that her
views had been blown out of proportion.
In another instance, an Israeli couple who kissed after marrying according to
Hindu rituals at the famous religious destination Pushkar in Rajasthan were in
for shock and harassment after priests filed a complaint with the police that
they defied Hindu religious norms by doing so.
There are reports of more foreign couples being victimized by priests at
Pushkar. A hotel was forced to shut down in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu,
after pictures appeared in the media of a couple kissing at a party in the
premises. In the past, Hindu fanatics have attacked film halls playing the
movie Fire that dealt with a lesbian relationship.
Indeed, the rights to protest and express one's opinion should co-exist in any
society, with proper channels of legal redress that reflects popular emotions
and sentiments. This is easier said than done. The dividing lines always get
muddled.
Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist.
(Copyright 2006 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us
for information on sales, syndication and republishing )
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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