** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List ** ** Untuk bergabung dg Milis Nasional kunjungi: ** Situs Milis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ ** ** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral scholarship, kunjungi http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com ** http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HB11Df06.html When a Muslim paints nude Hindu gods By Siddharth Srivastava NEW DELHI - Fortunately, there have not been virulent protests in India against the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, though close to 150 million Muslims reside in the country. However, attention is being drawn to Hindu fundamentalists taking umbrage at India's top artist, M F Husain, who has been booked by police for "hurting sentiments of people" with paintings that depict nude gods. The tirade against Husain also puts into question the often-held perception that Islam is the least tolerant of all religions to any act that is perceived as blasphemy. Fringe elements exist everywhere, though it is also true that the extent and intensity of protests by some of those who follow Islam set the religion apart. Last year, Husain's painting The Last Supper sold through an online purchase for US$2 million, the highest ever by an Indian. He is more than 90 years old, sprightly, very creative, known for quirks such as walking barefoot and having an obsession for Bollywood actresses, prominent among them being Madhuri Dikshit, whom he has painted as well as featured in a movie. He is not new to controversy and has invited the ire of right-wing sections in the past because of his naked and provocative paintings of various Hindu deities (Durga, Sita, Draupadi, Saraswati), though such depictions are very much part of Indian heritage, whether at Khajuraho or the Konark Sun Temple. The fact Husain is a Muslim who chooses to depict Hindu gods the way he wants has always angered Hindu extremists. This time the fury is over a painting that depicts Bharatmata ("Mother India") in the nude. The painting is part of a series themed for "Mission Kashmir" that are to be auctioned on the Internet to raise funds for victims of the earthquake that struck the state in October. Other prominent artists such as Anjolie Ela Menon and Sanjay Bhattacharya are also participating. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which subscribes to Hindu majority rule, has severely criticized Husain, with party general secretary Vinay Katiyar demanding the arrest of the painter. Extremist Hindu organizations have been more aggressive. "Being a good Muslim, Husain should know the worldwide reaction over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers," a former Bajrang Dal (right-wing Hindu outfit) chief said. "He, too, should refrain from repeatedly hurting the sentiments of Hindus." A case has been registered against Husain in Mumbai and Thane by radical Hindu organizations - the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS, for Hindu reawakening) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) - for hurting sentiments of people. The HJS has also appealed to President Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take action against the "anti-national and perverse attitude of great artists". The deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, R R Patil, has said state police are conducting a probe into the allegations. The HJS has also organized protests in Goa, Karanataka and Andhra Pradesh. Husain, meanwhile, has apologized and though the offending painting has been withdrawn from the website, it has already sold for about $175,000, which will bring some succor to the victims of the earthquake. At one level such intolerance to free expression is a reflection of the way India is - a multi-layered and cultural cauldron of classes, castes and religion, liberal and conservative opinions. It is also a sad commentary that radical and extremist elements hold people to ransom whenever they wish, a wasted vengeance that is often buttressed by politicians to fulfill their own narrow gains. As in any other society, one has to live with culture vigilantes and they are well within their rights to protest through legal means. However, it is the extent to which they affect popular imagination, cause violence, disrupt normal existence and cost lives that calls for different action against them. As has been argued very well by Asia Times Online's Pakistan bureau chief, Syed Saleem Shahzad (Stoking the jihadi fires, February 8), in the case of the cartoons of the Prophet, it is simply playing into the hands of the jihadis. In India, such radicals are trouble-mongers and publicity seekers who do not enjoy popular support and look for excuses to create a fuss. Even if one were to consider the hypothetical situation of Husain deliberately trying to hurt Hindu sentiments (many say this is unlikely), ignoring him is a better punishment, with those who buy his art left to take their own decision. Fundamentalist Hindus, cadres of the VHP or the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS), Shiv Sena that allies with the BJP at the national level, have attacked movie halls that screen controversial films and art galleries (including Husain's exhibition), as well as protested India-Pakistan cricket matches, couples holding hands, women wearing jeans and celebrations linked to Western influences such as Valentine's Day. And all in the name of cleansing society for a higher social value system. Last year, Sikhs protested against the Bollywood film, Jo Bole So Nihaal, starring top actor Sunny Deol. What followed were bomb blasts, believed by the police to be the handiwork of Sikh extremists, at movie halls in New Delhi that killed and crippled many. Muslim clerics, too, clamor for their bit of attention. In a reflection that radicals will be such, whether Hindu or Muslim, they have criticized the Husain paintings. The Muslim religious leaders claim to understand the sentiments of Indian Muslims and the correct interpretation of Islamic tenets. Political parties are averse to take them on as somehow a view has gained ground that siding with the religious heads conveys an image of being pro-Muslim. By voting en masse, Muslims offer a powerful vote bank. Such a strategy has been followed for long by national parties such as the Congress party in the past (the Shah Bano case, wherein the Congress in power overturned a ruling by the Supreme Court to provide maintenance due to divorce) and continues to the present. Emboldened, Muslim clerics continue to issue irrational diktats. They include the instance of the alleged rape of a Muslim woman, Imrana, by her father-in-law. The clerics declared that Imrana should treat her husband as a son and move in with her alleged rapist. In another recent case, Muslim women were asked not to contest in local elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and those who went out to vote were ordered to wear veils. India's tennis sensation Sania Mirza has been a victim. While Mirza is a national icon because of her tennis victories, fatwas (edicts) that she "covers up" have continued to fly, issued by known and unknown Muslim clerics. They want her, as a devout Muslim, to wear long pants and full-sleeved shirts, the way it is with sportswomen of Muslim countries such as Iran or Pakistan. Issues related to sex, too, invite as much attention as religion. Recently, Khusboo, rated among the top actresses in southern India - with temples dedicated to enable fans to worship her - said in a magazine interview that premarital sex was okay provided it was safe, consensual and between adults. The brouhaha included statewide protests, rallies, burning and beating of her effigies with chappals (slippers) as well as court cases. Local politicians keen to play the caste card because of upcoming elections in the state fanned the fire. A local court (as affected by the social and cultural milieu) issued a no-bail warrant against the beleaguered actress, who was at pains to explain that her views had been blown out of proportion. In another instance, an Israeli couple who kissed after marrying according to Hindu rituals at the famous religious destination Pushkar in Rajasthan were in for shock and harassment after priests filed a complaint with the police that they defied Hindu religious norms by doing so. There are reports of more foreign couples being victimized by priests at Pushkar. A hotel was forced to shut down in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, after pictures appeared in the media of a couple kissing at a party in the premises. In the past, Hindu fanatics have attacked film halls playing the movie Fire that dealt with a lesbian relationship. Indeed, the rights to protest and express one's opinion should co-exist in any society, with proper channels of legal redress that reflects popular emotions and sentiments. This is easier said than done. The dividing lines always get muddled. Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. (Copyright 2006 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us for information on sales, syndication and republishing ) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. 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