After a long time, i am writing on politics. In a country of extremes and contradictions, faith and disparity, terrorism and Naxalism, its difficult for flesh and blood to remain impartial. Its a dangerous burden to be a citizen of the Republic of India. Sometimes i think its better to be citizen of Bhutan or Maldives as you wont be a prisoner of history, religion and "secularism". Recently Indian Media made a lot hue and cry about the plight of M. F. Hussain and his reluctantly acceptance of Qatar's citizenship.
Indian constitution provides two very important rights to Indian citizens. Right to freedom of expression and Right to freedom of religion. It has never said (as far as i know) which one is more powerful. If we talk about progressiveness of India we should always back right to freedom of expression against any other right or law. We have won our freedom because of this right and should always keep in mind that religion played its role in the division of the subcontinent. But we dont live in utopian society. Indians are religious as well iconic par excellence and no one has a right to offend the sensitivities of Indians on the ground of freedom of expression. I still do not know what one can get by depicting all those old Gods/Goddesses in nude/seminude or provocative posture. It does not make us any modern and still if this is the metric of modernness then we had already passed this state when Chandellas of Central India built those monuments of Khajuraho or when Vatsyayan wrote the eternal Kamasutra. Fida Hussain has not added any new bit to the existing Indian art by those paintings (Here i am talking about those select controversial paintings). He has only made the rift in the Indian society more wider. Still its a shame that we can not guarantee his safety in India. The country that has given shelter and life to Jews, Parsis, etc has failed to give room to one of her greatest icons. Its a real shame.
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