I am perhaps not big on patriotic sentiments, but I do get teary & goose bumpy when I hear the national anthem, or the Ai mere watan ke logon, or when a Sachin scores a 200, or even when the Armed forces looses one of its heroes. But definitely, I am not patriotic enough, because I really fail to understand the reason why a painter like Hussain should have to live in exile & be a fugitive. Perhaps, India no more celebrates art, but more keeps it in the shackles of dirty & petty politics. Even then, I guess, politics gains more keeping Hussain an Indian. They could have boasted of having one of the finest painters of modern India, who has painfully given to the world few of the best pieces of art. I guess, India could not see, what the queen of Qatar could, who commissioned him to do a series of paintings depicting Islam. It's disheartening really to see something like this happen. While we are still bragging to be the worlds biggest democracy, we could not give an artist the space to paint in his own country.
I do not claim to understand how sad/happy Mr. Hussain might be, but it really would suck for me if my parents would ask me to not come home one day, only cause I had made a mistake...really what could be worse than that.
18 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more Runa. I too have been wondering for quite a while about this exile and the absolutely preposterous reasons behind the same. It pains me to no end that a 'democracy' like ours is sooo hung up about something as mundane and as petty as this. Then again, I think to myself, if we could sling dung at Shah Rukh Khan - who is perhaps the most recognisable Indian in the world today and is taking the country places in so many ways - and question his national spirit and allegiance, then we're not above anything are we??
true enough Priyanka...I was just voicing my disgust at such a thing...perhaps someday we shall have a open heart & better sense to see through such petty issues
though this will raise theheckles of all cultural studies loving intellectuals, all i can say is this is something which i am not at all sorry about
"but it really would suck for me if my parents would ask me to not come home one day, only cause I had made a mistake"
very simple really....don't make the foocking mistake in the first place
"who is perhaps the most recognisable Indian in the world today and is taking the country places in so many ways"
1. which places exactly?
2. it would have been a really pathetic and shmabolic state of affairs if our whole country had to depend on a FILM ACTOR to take it to places.......thankfully it hasn't come down to that now...........however, if that mentality remains then we aren't going anywhere...except possibly backwards
I am not anti-Shahrukh or anything btw......he has his opinions and is perfctly entitled to voice them aloud...I totally disagreed with what Thakeray tried to do
what fooking mistake did Hussain make in the first place?
from an era of imbibing new cultures and welcoming new ideologies into out fold,we have become too intolerant a nation. too naive a folk. a bad case of reverse engineering- isn't it?
Hi, Nice article on M F Hussein, check my blog too...
@Potato - It is not about solely resting on one person to get somewhere, but it is only about being proud of one Indian who got some fame to the country, just like being proud of Sachin or Abhinav Bhindra. It is a useless statement to make "it would have been a really pathetic and shmabolic state of affairs" its a fact that you feel happy & proud if someone from your clan/family/circle/country does something you could be proud of...as long as you care for it. It is a whole different argument if you do not care for a thing.
@Anonymous - For me he made no mistake, but for the government who refused to give him the citizenship he indeed made some mistake...was talking about them in this case.
@Vrinda - I agree
@ Dolphin - Thanks. Would sure check it out
my comment was in response to this "is taking the country places in so many ways", and my meaning was that if it comes down to a film actor to take the country anywhere then we as a nation have failed and failed miserably.....after all apart from making films and owning a cricket club what has he done?
if the statement said that he is representing the country's film industry and is taking it to hitherto uncharted territories in the world then i wouldn't have had any problems
as for "It is a useless statement to make "it would have been a really pathetic and shmabolic state of affairs" its a fact that you feel happy & proud if someone from your clan/family/circle/country does something you could be proud of"
if he is representing me or my country then yes i would, otherwise i dont give a foock about any random Indian doing anything anywhere individually
@anonymous: his mistake was dabbling with religion....after all same things have happened to Salman Rushdie and Tasleema Nasreen.....moral of the story being "Leave Religion alone"
"from an era of imbibing new cultures and welcoming new ideologies into out fold,.."...eh? what? which era? where? in this country??????
in our 5000 year old history, we have never ever once imbibed new cultures and new ideologies unless we have been forced to do so
Wasted: The govt shouldnt change it's constitutional laws for one citizen. Come on!
pOTATO: We all have the right to fuck with Religion and still live. It's the VHPs and RSSs and also the islamic equivalents who should be FOOKING PUNISED.
@ Anonymous - & what laws did I ask them to change? Also, I don't think any law that discriminates even against one Indian is not worth keeping, but then again that personally for me would mean changing the whole damn system...so I resume my silence at this :)
@Anonymous: "We all have the right to fuck with Religion and still live" maybe in Shangri La or El dorado...who gives you the right anyway?...maybe being anonymous eh?
@wated: "I don't think any law that discriminates even against one Indian is not worth keeping"...hheheheee
I am anonymous for I dont have a blog. Double citizenship is the law I was talking about. nO RELIGION is absolute and we humans can make art of anything we want.
Hussain is not a full stop of art world. don't be so said. what he has done that was planned enough and intentions are too clear. whatever the message is out of his act. jiske dil me chor hota hai wahi itna darpok hota hai. Taslima is des me rah sakti hai to Husain kyon nahi.lekin use to desh ko galat sabit karna tha kar diya.
I think that is just one biased side of the story which a lot of people in our country are willing to believe.
That apart, big deal he is a coward...so isn't there place enough in our country for cowards...I am sure you know the answer better Nilamber
@ anonymous: I totally and utterly disagree with everything you said
@Runa: country's big enough for everybody...doesn't mean we should go and feel sympathy for cowards
Post a Comment