It's just not possible to define this boundary. But where exactly should we draw the line, if we have to? An argument can be made that there has to be a limit to freedom of expression. There's an intangible cost that an artist has to pay by curbing his/her creativity & imagination, which in turn the society will also have to (indirectly) incur. If an artist has to make sure that no sentiments are going to get hurt by his/her creation, how much would that impact his/her creativity? I think the impact can be huge. I think the bigger question we're dealing with here is: Is our society being fair with the artists? Are politicians and fundamentalists in India destroying the artistic freedom in our country? (And God forbid if that triggers communal violence.) In any case, if the government decides to give him this award (which, I think, is unlikely), it is bound to create huge controversy, especially among the Hindu fundamentalists. For comparison, here's a list of some other artists who received this prestigious award: Satyajit Ray, Lata Mangeshkar, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan. Forbes magazine called him "Picasso of India". Hussain is one of the most renowned contemporary painter though. I am not going to comment on whether Hussain is eligible to receive Bharat Ratna award or not, because I know little about his achievements as an artist. I wonder how different that fatwa is, from the one that's declared for the death of Hussain. In 1989, Salman Rushdie, probably the greatest author alive, was forced to live under police protection for years after a fatwa was proclaimed by an Islamic leader (Ayatollah Khomeini) requiring Rushdie's execution. He's charged with "hurting the sentiments of people because of his nude portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses". Hussain, who is now 91, into a self-imposed exile. (There was one issued by a VHP s adhu for murdering Karunanidhi, after his notorious comments about Lord Rama's credentials and eventually questioning his existence.)Īll these allegations, several " fatwa ", violent protests and litigation (mostly by right-wing activists), pushed M. Over the years, we had seen Islamic fundamentalists to use fatwa against so called infidels or non-believers, but lately more and more fatwa are being summoned by Hindu groups/activists in India. I am really astonished by the instances of these kinds of "Hindu fatwa ".
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There were some more rewards offered by others for gouging out his eyes, or chopping off his hands. Several years ago there was another controversial painting by him that showed the Bharat Mata (Mother India) nude.Īpparently, the Hindu Personal Law Board (a private organization) has announced Rs. Some of his paintings showed Hindu gods and goddesses in nude. There are a lot of controversies going on around M.
![marhaba song jodha akbar marhaba song jodha akbar](http://www.arabsong2.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1601798589.jpg)
Hussain being nominated (as a result of a popular poll) by NDTV for Bharat Ratna award (India's highest civilian award for national service) came to my attention, which in turn, led me to do a little research about this.