[Reader-list] Fwd: Feel free, Mr. Husain. Go paint Qatari leaders

[Pawan Durani]

Source : http://rummuser.com/?p=2993

A letter by Dr Mrs Hilda Raja to N.Ram

Dear Ram,
I have taken time to write this to you Ram — for the simple reason
that we have known you for so many years — you and The Hindu bring
back happy memories. Please take what I am putting down as those that
come from an agonized soul. You know that I do not mince words and
what I have to say I will — I call a spade a spade — now it is too
late for me to learn the tricks of being called a ‘secularist’, if
that means a bias for one, and a bias against another.
Hussain is now a citizen of Qatar — this has generated enough of heat
and less of light. Qatar you know better than me is not a country
which respects democracy or freedom of expression. Hussain says he has
complete freedom — I challenge him to paint a picture of Mohammed,
fully clad.
There is no second opinion that artists have the Right of Freedom of
expression. Is such a right restricted only to Hussain? Will that
right not flow to Dan Brown — why was his film Da Vinci Code not
screened? Why was Satanic Verses banned — does Salman Rushdie not have
that freedom of expression? Similarly, why is Taslima hunted and
hounded and why fatwas have been issued on both these writers? Why has
Qatar not offered citizenship to Taslima? In the present rioting in
Shimoga in Karnataka against the article Taslima wrote against the
tradition of burqa which appeared in the Out Look in Jan 2007. Nobody
protested then either in Delhi or in any other part of the country;
now when it reappears in a Karnataka paper there is rioting. Is there
a political agenda to create a problem in Karnataka by the intolerant
goons? Why has the media not condemned this insensitivity and
intolerance of the Muslims against Taslima’s views? When it comes to
the Sangh Parivar it is quick to call them goons and intolerant etc.
Now, who are the goons and where is this tolerance and sensitivity?

Regarding Hussain’s artistic freedom it seems to run unfettered in an
expression of sexual perversion only when he envisages the Hindu Gods
and Goddesses. There is no quarrel had he painted a nude woman sitting
on the tail of a monkey. The point is he captioned it as Sita. Nobody
would have protested against the sexual perversion and his
orientatation to sexual signs and symbols. But would he dare to
caption it as ‘Fatima enjoying in Jannat with animals’?

Next example is the painting of Saraswati copulating with a lion. Here
again his perversion is evident and so is his intent. Even that, let’s
concede, cannot be faulted — each one’s sexual orientation is each
one’s business I suppose. But he captioned it as Saraswati. This is
the problem. It is Hussain’s business to enjoy in painting his sexual
perversion. But why use Saraswati and Sita for his perverted
expressions? Use Fatima and watch the consequence. Let the media
people come to his rescue then. Now that he is in a country that gives
him complete freedom, let him go ahead and paint Fatima copulating
with a lion or any other animal of his choice. And then turn around
and prove to India — the Freedom of expression he enjoys in Qatar.

Talking about Freedom of Expression — this is the Hussain who
supported Emergency — painted Indira Gandhi as Durga slaying
Jayaprakash Narayan. He supported the jailing of artists and writers.
Where did this Freedom of Expression go? And you call him secularist?
Would you support the jailing of artists and writers Ram – would you
support the abeyance of the Constitution and all that we held sacred
in democracy and the excessiveness of Indira Gandhi to gag the media
writers – political opponents? Tell me, honestly why does Hussain
expect this Freedom when he himself did not support others with the
same freedom he wants? And the media has rushed to his rescue. Had it
been a Ram who painted such obnoxious, degrading painting – the
reactions of the media and the elite ‘secularists’ would have been
different; because there is a different perception/ and index of
secularism when it comes to Ram — and a different perception/and index
of secularism when it comes to Rahim/Hussain.

It brings back to my mind an episode that happened to The Hindu some
years ago. [1991] You had a separate weekly page for children with
cartoons, quizzes, and with poems and articles of school children. In
one such weekly page The Hindu printed a venerable bearded man — fully
robed with head dress, mouthing some passages of the Koran — trying to
teach children. It was done not only in good faith but as a part of
inculcating values to children from the Koran. All hell broke loose.
Your office witnessed goons who rushed in — demanded an apology — held
out threats. In Ambur, Vaniambadi and Vellore the papers stands were
burned — the copies of The Hindu were consigned to the fire. A threat
to raise the issue in Parliament through a Private Members Bill was
held out — Hectic activities went on — I am not sure of the nature and
the machinations behind the scene. But The Hindu next day brought out
a public apology in its front page. Where were you Ram? How secular
and tolerant were the Muslims?

Well this is of the past — today it is worse because the communal
temperature in this country is at a all high — even a small friction
can ignite and demolish the country’s peace and harmony. It is against
this background that one should view Hussain who is bent on abusing
and insulting the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Respect for religious
sentiments, need to maintain peace and harmony should also be part of
the agenda of an artist — if he is great. If it is absent then he
cannot say that he respects India and express his longing for India.

Let’s face it — he is a fugitive of law. Age and religion are
immaterial. What does the media want — that he be absolved by the
courts? Even for that he has to appear in the courts — he cannot run
away. After all this is the country where he lived and gave expression
to his pervert sadist, erotic artistic mind under Freedom of
Expression. I simply cannot jump onto the bandwagon of the elite
‘secularist’ and uphold what he had done. With his brush he had
committed jihad — bloodletting.

The issue is just not nudity — Yes the temples, the frescos in Konarak
and Kajhuraho have nude figures. But does it say that they are Sita,
Sarswati or any goddesses? We have the Yoni and the Phallus as sacred
signs of Life-of Siva and Shakthi — take these icons to the streets,
paint them — give it a caption it becomes vulgar. Times have changed.
Even granted that our ancients sculptured and painted naked forms and
figures, with a pervert mind to demean religion is no license to
repeat that in today’s changed political and social scenario and is
not a sign of secularism and tolerance. I repeat there is no quarrel
with nudity — painters have time and again found in it the perfection
of God’s handicraft.

Let me wish Hussain peace in Qatar — the totalitarian regime with zero
tolerance. May be he will convince the regime there to permit freedom
of expression in word, writing and painting. For this he could start
experimenting painting forms and figure of Mohamed the Prophet-and his
family. And may I fervently wish that the media — especially The
Hindu, does not discriminate goons — let it not substitute tolerance
for intolerance when it comes to Rahim and Antony and another index
for Ram.

I hope you will read this in the same spirit that I have written. All
the best to you Ram.

Dr Mrs Hilda Raja