Secular Art

Art should have no barriers. No religious barriers at least. But that’s not the case in India. Maqbool Fida Husain, India’s renowned painter, died last week while being in exile as a Qatari citizen. Husain had been the target of Hindu activists, especially Shiv Sena, for several years. They objected to his depiction of goddesses in the nude, claiming this was an insult to Hinduism. They threatened to rip his paintings apart, making it difficult to exhibit his paintings without fear of damage.

Husain was not the only one who was driven out of the country due to repression from communal activists. Salman Rushdie, who was born in Mumbai but lives in the UK, saw New Delhi ban his Satanic Verses for its perceived depiction of Prophet Muhammad. Author Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi, was hounded out of her country because she graphically depicted the sufferings of Hindus in Bangladesh. But this did not ensure her a warm welcome in Kolkata. Her writings displayed sexual liberation which didn’t go well with the Muslim communalists and was eventually forced to leave Kolkata.

Trouble is art in India is still a victim of dirty politics. The government is more concerned about gaining popularity with the vote bank. Hindu activists have no problem with the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho but they have a problem when a muslim man depicts the same in the form of a painting. That's convenient! The Supreme Court may have acquitted Husain in majority of the cases filed against him. But did the government really protect him from the attacks and threats? The government talks about woman empowerment but did it take any form of legal action against the activists who assaulted Taslima in public or against the mullahs who issued a fatwa offering huge sums of money for her murder?

Turns out, a secular India is only secular as long as you are politically correct. Husain’s death should be an eye opener for the Indian government. India lost him not after his death but the day he left the country in 2006. RIP Husain.