From: Kumara Swamy" vkswamy30@yahoo.in
Dear sir,
Although we haven't been in touch for a long long time, but I have been following your posts almost everyday, and more often than not, I agree with almost all of them. But I must disagree on this.
Indian Hindu Talibans have been handed a victory by MF Husain himself rather than they scoring one. Had he come back to India and tested the waters here with the government assuring him full protection rather than taking the Qatari citizenship, he would have been a greater hero for all of us.
Why did he not trust the government?? ? wasn't Shahrukh Khan protected when he was threatened? Wasn't Amitabh Bachchan protected? There are so many individuals who have been given protection by the government..
MF Husain has failed secularism of this country by not testing its strength. He has failed a majority of Indians who would have stood by him.
No matter what, I am inclined to believe that it was his fear and the possible ill effects on commerical committments that came in the way of his return to India. I would have been very ashamed had he died as an Indian outside his country. I would have been ashamed had he not been provided with foolproof security in this country on his return. But with what he has done now, I think we shouldn't be blaming ourselves.
More than India failing MFN, he has failed India by taking up he Qatari citizenship.
Kumara Swamy
1- From: Vernon Ram scorpio.vernon@ gmail.com
Dear Syed Ali Mujtaba
As an old friend of MFH since his days in Delhi, where he executed the mural for the WHO in the 1950s, I fully endorse your comments: India's talibans, regrettably, have won to India's eternal loss. I last met Husain when he participated in a charity painting exhibition in Hong Kong around 1990s at the Academy for Performing Arts. He couldn't stay until the auctions because he had a flight to catch for Calcutta, but the proceeds from the sale, a not inconsiderable sum, went to a worthwhile charity. The barefoot maestro is one of a kind and I have one of his Hanuman watercolour sketches to remind me of our lifelong friendship! Please keep in touch. Warmest regards.
Vernon Ram
85 Taipeng Village
North Lamma Island
Hong Kong SAR, China
chandran@netvigator .com
2- Sampath sampathkumariyangar @yahoo.com
It is an act of war by Qatar against India to honour the fugitive! He is wanted by several `honourable' courts of world's largest democracy (!) to stand trial. He is guilty of violating divine rights of far-right Hindutva mob, which nurtures the country's ruling and opposition parties. It is only natural that both consider divine rights (and cow rights) as more sacrosanct than human rights. Although BJP's Ahluwalia has formally given an NOC to the painter to become a Qatari, it is possible that Congress-ruled New Delhi would go for a novel tit for tat. After all, it is not practicable to go to war with or threaten Qatar! One should not be surprised if India offers citizenship to Slobodan Milosevic, even if posthumously, to snub Qatar. Going by the 'repentence' by the two political circuses to our own pogroms of 1984 and 2002, the decision should be unanimous!
3- From mramtanu@verizon. net
Mujtaba Saab: The very premise of your article "that one of the most celebrated artists of India, Maqbool Fida Hussain has taken up the nationality of Qatar to escape from the Hindu zealots..." could be wrong. But you did not leave any room for such dispute. As far as I am concerned, Husain has many more admirers in the West -- that is Europe and North America, and yet he chose Qatar as his new country. It could be, just could be that he chose Qatar because it is a tax haven. No income tax. Husain, despite his claim to fame, is also very commercial, which is nothing wrong either. Ask any one who dealt with him, and you will know.
I am not happy that he left India, but he is an Indian first, Muslim second. If he chose to abandon his primary identity to adopt Qatari identity, and then some others try to make it a religious issue, it is their choice, but somewhat unfortunate. I fully believe that all "Hindus" who get persecuted in Islamic countries became victims not because they were Hindus, but because they broke the law of that land. You may dislike those laws of that land, but that hardly makes a difference.
Husain, if he had wanted to defend himself, should have stayed back. It is his country, as it is the country of all other Indians-- brown, black, white,yellow, Muslim,. Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, tribal, or whatever. He did not. Instead, he chose to give it a religious color and then settle in a country which he does not know, but provides him a tax haven.
There is nothing much else to talk about this "genius."
With the best
Ramtanu Maitra
4 - Sampath" sampathkumariyangar @yahoo.com
First, Doha is going to have a special museum and Husain had already
been commissioned to do a prestigious project - History of Arab
Civilization - by the First Lady of Qatar. The project 'History of
Indian Civilization' may take the back seat - courtesy you know who.
Second, there is no reason for anyone to be unhappy that "he chose to
abandon his primary identity to adopt Qatari identity." How many tens
of thousands of people are waiting for their turn to 'abandon the
primary identity'? unlike Husain, they are mainly from the top layer of
the society who enjoy a much better life than the bottom three-quarters.
An important revenue stream for the ministers/ judges/ big bureaucrats
of India consists of enabling them get out - even if clandestinely - as
the first step towards that. Ironically, the maximum noise cheering the
'great country' to become a nuke-wielding superpower lording over the
region comes out of these people!
5- "mmrc hyd" mmrchyd@yahoo. co.in
the govt earning and how much m f is earning? that is the reason he chose to quatar
2. He is coward and is running awmr.mujtaba
i have read your artic accepted the quatar citizenship for organising an exhibition worth 60 million dollars? how much is ay from the cases filed against him in the court of law. If he is right he should have stayed and fought the cases till he is cleared of his name. by fleeing the country he has become a criminal and on his rle on m f hussain where you have put those forces who are against the paintings of m f husssain to taliban... let me answer to your heavily biased and coloured views:
1. are you aware that m f hussain haseturn he should be immediately arrested and put behind bars
3. At the age of 94, he has proved that he is also a comodity and can be purchased llike any other artist who has price
4. Secularism comes with a responsibiity, and minorities cannot take their place for granted. They have to follow the law of the land.
5. Even if one hindu is hurt due to nude paintings of m f hussain, he should be taken to law. he is no right to insult the religion of the majority. he has to pay for his faults.
6. M F is not a government servant, and therefore government is not responsible for his leaving the country on his own free will and wish. You cannot ask the government to give him security for an act which goes against the law of the land.
7. if he is the most accomplished artist in india, he should behave like one and not take law in his hand and behave irresponsibly. He has betrayed the country who has given him name fame and food for 94 years.... can you trust such people any more? They are definitely desh drohi's and should never be allowed to enter the country again
8. The minorities cannot bring pressure on the government and clear him of his misdeeds. he is answerable to the court of law and to the millions of hindus whose sentiments have been hurt.
9. will he paint the gods of muslims or christians,or jews ,sikhs in nude? and if he does so will muslims, christians or the jews or sikhs keep quite?that is why 900 cases have been filed. they are not taliban as you say, they are filed through the democratic process of law. if they were behaving like tailban, by this time he would have been killed.
10. So, ascertain the facts, and then write what you wish to write.
abhay ekbote
6- From: Jagan Chandra jaggie_c@yahoo. com
You wrote about Indian Taliban etc., etc., crap in your blog. You seem to have conveniently forgotten that the same Taliban treats the people like Shahrukh Khan, Abdul Kalam, Azharuddin etc., as Gods!. Just show one such person that is a non-muslim in your countries.
You bigots ensured to drive your own person Salman Rushdie just because he wrote about Quoran. Think about some non-muslim doing the same in your country!. Here is this muslim fanatic called MF Hussain that deliberately tried to denigrate the country that made him prominent. I will be very happy to see your reaction if he chose to draw naked portraits of your prophet!.
7 - From:Ravi Munshi ravi.munshi@gmail.com
Dear Dr. Mujtaba,
I read with interest your article titled "Indian Talibans have triumphed". I must acknowledge that I enjoyed the style in which you write, and was wondering if you have, either written or have ever been inclined to write about the plight of citizens of India that have been rendered refugees in their own homeland.
I am referring to Kashmiri Pandit community from Kashmir - a minuscule and peaceful community that, unlike others, yields no clout or vote bank. They have been living in almost sub-human conditions since 1989. Yet, they are a bunch of proud Indians that would not relinquish their citizenship at any cost. It seems journalists like you may be able help their cause.
I do not condone the actions of Hindu zealots. Revenge is not a Hindu trait. As true Hindus, they should have forgiven Mr. Hussain despite the expression of his deliberate insensitivity to the sentiments of a segment of Indian Hindus. It is said one's deep-rooted sentiments get reflected in one's work.
As for talented journalists like you, it would serve a broader purpose if they could assume leadership roles and debate issues surrounding hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits, not just one, Mr. Hussain, who decided to take an easy way out.
I will be eagerly looking forward to your composition on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, should you determine that to be any value to your readership.
Regards,
Ravi
8 - From Bavin Patel patelb81@gmail.com
Please let me know how the minority community (Muslim) in India would act if he painted Muhammad in a negative way? I don’t know if you are following current events but the minority community went on a rampage in Kannnada because Taslima Nasreen’s article on the Burqa was published.
You my friend are also a Bigot!
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