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JUST before the incident in Vadodara, India's best-known artist, M.F. Husain, was subjected to a round of moral policing. Husain has been targeted repeatedly by communal groups for his supposed irreverence to the Hindu religion. The 92-year-old-painter now rarely stays in Mumbai; he spends most of his time in Dubai and London.
In early May, a court in Haridwar issued orders to the Mumbai Police to attach his property in South Mumbai as he failed to respond to summons to appear before it. The petitioner alleged that a Husain painting, which an exhibitor titled "Bharat Mata", hurt his religious sentiments and was a slur on nationalism. The work was part of series that showed India as a woman, which Husain painted in the 1970s. The painting particularly objected to shows India as a nude woman with the States written across her body, and a wheel in the background.
Since the early 1990s, Husain has been targeted for painting Hindu deities. In 1996, an exhibition of his in Ahmedabad was vandalised by VHP activists. In 1998, Bajrang Dal members arrived at his apartment to protest against a painting, which showed a nude Sita perched on a naked Hanuman's tail. The timely arrival of the police prevented any violent incident.
"No one has contributed to Indian art, and therefore to the country, as much as Husain. It is a shame that he cannot live in safety in his own country," said Kekoo Gandhi, who owns Gallery Chemould in Mumbai and is a core member of the Progressive Arts Group, which includes artists such as Husain, F.N. Souza and S.H Raza.
Anupama Katakam
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