F.M. Husain Betrayed: India is Guilty!

Fate of a Global Painter!

-DR. ABDUL RUFF

Notwithstanding its secular facade, India promotes Hinduism and Hindu interests in the country and abroad. Irrespective of political  differences, Hindus cannot tolerate nay move to discredit Hinduism, though some of them pretend to be anti-Hindutva, progressive, normal people.

Greatness is defined in India by using differing yardsticks.Muslims in India can also compete for greatness provided they promote Hinduism with complete loyalty to Hindu leaders who effectively control them. More importantly, the Muslims, if they want to achieve anything in life, should not resist Indian pressure tactics to get what they want from you. Indian regime and its agencies including mafias would go to any extend of promoting Muslims who live to praise Hindus and glorify Hinduism. Any deviation would not be tolerated in "tolerant" India.

Indian mindset towards Muslims remains backwardly petrified. One of the world's most celebrated artists, F.M. Husain who popularized modern art in India and put Indian paintings on world map is no more. The international fame Husain who took  the world by shock  as much by his taking refuge in Qatar as his sudden death in UK was admitted only two days ago in Royal Hospital London for fluid retention in his lungs had otherwise been in fairly good health.  They say Husain suffered a heart attack in the hospital. His sons and daughter were with him when he died. His last rites were conducted in London and not in India.

This eminent painter Maqbool Fida Husain was born in Pandharpur, Madhya Pradesh, on Sep 17, 1915. At 95, Husain, India's best known contemporary painter was active and had lots of painting left in him. Committed to art and truth MF Husain earned fame and controversy over his brilliant paintings.

Husian was not anti-Hindu or anti-Indian - he was a genius artist whom mother India skillfully used to promote the false image of Hindu India. On special request from Hindu leaders, Husain had painted series of marvelous art on themes like Ramayana and the Hindu mythological artistic creations by a Muslim were admired and appreciated by Hindus of all denominations for years. After dedicating his entire life in the service of India in the field of art without any mafia support, MF Husain had been forced into exile in Qatar and elsewhere since 2006, when he was attacked by extremist and rightist Hindu groups angry with his portrayal of mythological Hindu deities. He lived in Dubai, Doha or London for most of the last two decades because he couldn't paint in peace in his own country. Husain for all his contribution to Indian art was forced to flee after law was misused by Indian Hindu fanatics with tacit state support.

Toward the end of his life  in his own country, under severe pressure from all quarters- both state and  private- Husain had trouble finding galleries willing to show his work and where he managed he had face ruthless Indian vandalism. While the Hindutva (BJP combine) party which expects Indian courts to rule in favor of Hindus so as to uphold the  false image of Hinduism and India,  has been the blatant opponent of Husain's work, the other parties have done precious little for protecting the maestro. The rise of fundamentalism fomented by Indian Hindu ideology and fanatic political outfits has tormented the creative mind of Husain who was not anti-Hindu or anti-India artist but in fact he had n ever been an Islamist or supporter of Islamic values; on the contrary, he was deeply rooted in the core spirit of broad Hindu culture, still he has been hounded by Hindus and their organizations while the regimes closed its eyes.

World has paintings and sculptures of all sorts. Semi-nude paintings and nude sculptures are common in Indian temple structures. Husain left India after his paintings of Hindu gods in the nude triggered attacks on his works by rightwing fanatic Hindu organizations who deliberately boycotted him but Indian regime failed, or refused, to protect him. The 2008 Indian Art Fair in Delhi had the works of 300 artists but not Husain's. Delhi Airport visitors’ gallery does not have any space for Husain’s art and they are lying without attention from authorities who want government’s permission for displaying the paintings of genius Husain. Fanatic and basically anti-Islamic India cannot tolerate criticism of Indian system by a Muslims. A large number of books get published in India, hundreds of films get made and galleries hold many exhibitions without incident. But artists like Husain inhabit speech at the edge of acceptability, speech that challenges conventional thought. Today Husain's paintings are relegated to nowhere in Delhi's international airport. But, under whose orders?

Nudity can express vulgarity as well as purity, and that’s where the fundamentalists of all variety show their intolerance for the artistic souls like Husain. Husain pointed out that Nudity is a metaphor for purity in Hindu mythology. The major criticism against him was and is politically motivated. Being a Muslim and drawing these motifs so boldly was unacceptable to the offshoots of Hindu Parivar cutting across political spectrum. Husain pointed out that Nudity is a metaphor for purity in Hindu mythology. Sculptures of many Hindu temple structures in India are extremely erotic. The Khajuraho nude sculpture has immense consequence to Hindu culture and cannot just be dismissed on the ground that people wanted to increase the population so these were drawn. The so-called progressive political formations have been ineffectual or reluctant in protecting him.

Indian courts often throw such art cases out but in Husain's case they sided with Hindu fanatics. However, the Supreme Court ruled in Husain's favor. And thus India’s most powerful artist MF Husain died in exile, unhappy with the way his home country, mother India, leaders plus mafias had treated him.

The Courts ruled in Husain’s favor saying that his paintings are not obscene and are not promoting enmity between communities in any way.  But the court judgments did not stem the tide of vitriol. As the most celebrated Indian artist, Husain had been one of the strongest “probables” for the Bharatratna award but the Hindu fanatics wanted to stop that.  Vigilantes continued to file cases against him, attacked his works and damaged the studio of a television network that polled its readers on whether Husain should be given India's highest civilian honor. Exasperated by the lack of support from the Indian state and the continued harassment—both physical and legal—Husain gave up.

In this secular India, progressive minded Muslims are groomed to promote Hinduism and Husain became one of such unfortunate Muslims. Indian syncretic traditions have the strong synthesis of plural religious and cultural ethos of the country and Muslims promoted Hinduism as Indian nationalism. Muslims have contributed generously to Indian art, music and literature. The best examples include the work of poets like Raskhan or Rahim, the musicians like Ustad Bismillah Khan or Ustand Zakir Hussain, the religious traditions of Kabir or Nizamuddin Auliya, the magic of Indian mixed culture propounded by Muslims mesmerizes the scholars to no end. During his childhood years he was very impressed by the staging of Ramlila and along with his Hindu friend used to enact it. Husian also went to study the Valmiki and Tulsidas versions of Ramayana. His quest for understanding the society led him to study Gita, Puranas and other spiritual texts. His rooting in liberal Hindu culture, not the Brahmanical variety of those attacking him, was very deep. Indian Muslim Dargahs are favorites of some selfish political Hindus.

India is known for its pseudo patriotism and flawed anti-Muslim sentiments and has betrayed Muslims in all walks of life. Now this great nation has betrayed even its own greatest artist son MF Husain because he was a Muslim. Created by Indian imagination, Indian goddesses, as portrayed by Hindus, are huge piles of either charming or ugly. Many temple structure sculptures depict nude India goddesses. That is funny. Also, funny is the fact that India's top Hindu gods are rich and possess uncounted funds. One of the richest Hindu gods Sri Satya (truth) Baba of Puttaparty village in AP with a modern international air port and railways terminal from the “devotees” of government of India., who died recently has apparently left behind huge unused and unaccounted cash for this disciples to take care of and a bag full of big cash was caught on 19th June in Andhra Pradesh. But fanatic Indians argue that Husain has no right to criticize fake beliefs even artistically!

An artist with weaker convictions would have stopped painting altogether, but Husain continued to portray the many colors of this pluralist democracy. Besides painting creations, Husain also took intense fascination for film making. In recognition of his international status, Husain had been offered Qatari citizenship in 2010. His life & work in India and his end abroad is yet another example of how Muslims in India could be treated if they do play only pro-India games as foreign cricketers do. Husain’s contribution has been ignored by criminal Indians who harassed him because he used his art to express himself but the Hindu fanatics found him a problem  because he exposed hypocrisy in Hindu faith artistically and forced him seek shelter in a Muslim nations.

An Observation

One has no idea about how many Muslims have fallen helpless victims to Indian anti-Muslim policy. However, from what has happened to Husian and some more prominent Muslims in the country, it is quite clear that Indian rulers and their network agencies - both at the centre and regions - must be harming genuine interests of Muslims as a top Indian ideology.

A bold artist Husain always insisted on truthfulness in art creativity faced a lot of opposition from the Hindu fanatics and extremist Hindu terrorists even threatened to kill him. He exceedingly faced acute problems in attending functions and exhibiting his paintings and his appeal to government clearly failed to invite its attention to come to his rescue. Indian electronic media and TV channels paraded Hindu fanatics to condemn Husain while the Indian regime deliberately avoided the issue altogether and decided not to call Husain back to his country from Qatar.

Like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Husain was not too intimate to Muslims. His close friends were Hindus and other non-Muslims. So, when he was   attacked by Hindus Muslims did not raise voice in his support. That is the state of mind as well as fate of Hinduised Indian Muslims. Not every persecuted Muslim in India is able to comprehend the crude truth that they are an ill-fated race in the nation.

Would Indian Sonia-Manmohan-MadamPratibha led "progressive" regime have behaved in similar manner forcing him to leave his country had a Hindu artist painted the same? Obviously not. There would have been patch up efforts by the regime and Indian "civilized" society to help India's greatest artist resume his creative endeavor without any fear or intimidation.  There is no need for a crash course on history of arrival of Indian gods and goddesses, but these goddesses had come into existence when Hindus had not even entered the "pants" culture. In offending Indian's greatest artist in the worst manner, India has very skillfully removed Husain from the Bharatratna prize list- what a small nationhood and what a shame!  

Last year, Husain was generously offered Qatari citizenship. But his heart remained in India, and in interviews, spoke fondly of what this country meant to him. An Indian with a Qatar passport after serving his country entire his life used say that the Passport is a piece of paper and he remained an Indian at heart. He longed to come back to a free India. But mother India looked the other way round searching new strategic partners.

Art has always been the subject of controversy because it generally depicts truth which annoys many who love falsehood and prefer hypocrisy.  Indians felt proud of Husain when his paintings provided good news and feel good factor for the fanatics. MF Husain was a friendly human with the high quality of humor and humility, who preferred to walk barefoot.  Similarly, Husain is too transparent in his thoughts painted in colors!

Finally, this globally renowned artist has died abroad an unhappy man. That is the true nature of Indian "secularism" and "tolerance" and the plight of creative Muslims in India who refuse to glorify Hinduism and Hindutva in the name of promoting Indian greatness. It is a case of betrayal of a Muslim genius by the complex, pseudo-secularized Hindu majority. India is guilty!