From MF Husain to Aseem Trivedi: Drawing, disrespecting Bharat Mata and debate on creative freedom for an artist or cartoonist

A few years ago MF Husain painted Bharat Mata in a way, it was objected by a section of society. He apologised, yet numerous cases were filed against him in different cities by several groups.

Though a celebrity painter, Husain didn't say much about creative freedom or tradition of nude drawings in India. He was fiercely opposed by Muslims also, who opposed him in newspapers, on the streets and elsewhere too.

Was that caricature really denigrating or obscene? Anyway.

You can see photos about Muslims objecting to his caricature on my earlier post. Husain couldn't come back to India, settled outside the country and died. He must have been bitter but didn't say anything critical of the country or the government. 

Now, we have a cartoonist, Aseem Trivedi. In one of his cartoon, he shows 'Gang rape of Mother India'. These are the exact words which he mentioned in his cartoon. Mother India is shown wearing a tricolour Sari. 

Politician is telling her, 'Hurry up', while bureaucrat [spelt wrongly by him] is also holding her hand while another creature [corruption] stands ready.

He drew Parliament in such a way that it resembles a big toilet [commode] and as far as our national symbol 'Ashoka pillar' is concerned, he turned the lions into wolves.

Contrary to Husain's case. Aseem Trivedi is not apologetic. He won't say sorry. The cartoonist who was not too well known, feels that he has every right to draw it. He is quite clear about it. He has conviction, no doubt. Perhaps, good that he has taken a stand.

But the difference in this case is that political parties that right-wing Hindutva groups hounded Husain, but support him for these cartoons. They are not too engaging. But from Shiv Sena to MNS and even BJP, none of these parties feel that such cartoons, particularly, about Bharat Mata, and those tampering our national symbols are distasteful.

The law is clear about it. Yet, he has support from a wide spectrum. Is freedom of expression absolute. No! It comes with responsibility. You can't abuse your neighbour, leave alone tampering with national emblem.

However, Aseem is right in the sense that slapping a case of sedition was unjust. Yes, these colonial laws are used selectively, often misused, and they must be reviewed. He is courageous in a sense. The fact is that he did what he thought was his right.

Sorry, I don't like these cartoons & its my personal thought. They are not seditious but they do hurt my sensibilities. I won't post them on this site. If you intend to see them, search elsewhere. But this is a watershed case.

The strong support the activist-cartoonist has got, political parties standing for his right to expression and state government forced to review its decision--all these are things that would be unthinkable in the past.

I won't say double standards in the case of Maqbool Fida Housain vis-a-vis Aseem Trivedi. Press Council supports him for his right to draw the cartoon. He gets award for courageous cartoons. 

No case registered against him under cyber laws or IT Act, which any other ordinary person may be booked for, if he/she simply forwards objectionable material. 

So there is no question of patriotism test conducted on Trivedi. I am a fool yaar, I shouldn't even think of it. What a silly comparison. Why would someone ever question his 'deshbhakti'!

Or perhaps, there is a new dawn in India. Boundaries of creative freedom are getting stretched and people are imbibing the Western values as far as seeing and understanding art is concerned. Let's hope, the standards remain the same in future as well. 

It was just for the record. 

Who says Indian Muslims don't oppose MF Husain's paintings: Enough of this anti-Muslim bias, false propaganda

The photo on the left shows Muslims opposing MF Husain, the celebrity painter, for his paintings that outraged a section of Hindus.

I am not an artist. Creative art and boundaries of artistic freedom is quite a big issue and needs a bigger space.

What I know is that Muslims are targeted just because MF Husain happens to be a Muslim. So what should I do?

For every offensively perceived 'act' by a Muslim, shall I take onus and go to street to protest.

And by the same yardstick, for every crime by a Hindu, Hindus should hold demonstrations and say 'We condemn it'. This is all bullshit. Law must prevail.

Already he has cases registered against him in police stations and would be arrested if he comes to India. Many Hindus support his right to draw Saraswati and Bharat Mata. I am opposed to it. Hasn't he apologised?

The Saffron brigade that loves Salman Rushdie, is not satisfied and wants more. The problem is even when Muslims take to streets, openly opposing Husain, media doesn't report it. The photo here shows Muslims holding a banner against the painter and also holding footwear that carry the painter's picture.

Now, still, you claim that Muslims don't oppose the paintings! First, the TV Channels and newspapers don't print these photos and don't send reporters to cover these protests. Then, they claim that Muslims don't hold events. Damn it.

The following story http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/dec/16rajeev.htm appeared on the homepage of Rediff a few days back and still features in the homeapage. I am apalled and wonder what is the limit of free speech?

How can such things that are so ridiculous and aimed at poisoning minds besides creating rifts in Indian society be featured prominently? Not Togadia or Shahabuddin who are known rabblerousers, it is people like these who feature such articles need to be condemned. 

Three or four instances that fit in your ideological angle are collected and a web of lies is spun to cast aspersions. Everyone is shaken by such deaths but portraying them and seeing them in terms of Hindu, Muslim, Christian is criminal.

I am a Muslim so am I not a human? I may ask what is the value of Muslim's life during riots and carnages like Gujarat. The eye for eye case was shown on television channels again and again [of course to show the era Saudis think they live in] and the pressure mounted on government.

Rubia was Home Minister's daughter and had it been the daughter of Karan Singh it would have been the same case. In my humble opinion, if there is a big event small news stories do not get mentioned but when there is no such news, a story like eye-for-eye gets more prominence but not the death in Afghanistan.

Is it not electronic print media and the circumstances like that of Sarabjeet Singh which was taken up by the entire media as a cause but never in the past the issue of hundreds of Indians languishing in jails became a national debate.

One does not expect an opinion-maker website like Rediff.com to carry such a poor piece.