India’s top painter Husain pulled from show over threats

[Dance]

NEW DELHI: A gallery showing paintings by India’s most acclaimed artist M.F. Husain said Friday it had pulled them out of the country’s biggest art fair because of fears of attacks by Hindu extremists.

Husain, a Muslim known as the “Picasso of India,” has been repeatedly targeted by hardliners for portraying Hindu deities in the nude or in a sexually suggestive manner in some of his paintings.

Following threats by a radical Hindu group that offered a reward of $11.5 million for his death, the artist moved to Qatar in 2006 and accepted Qatari citizenship in 2010.

The owners of the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) displayed three paintings by Husain for a preview of the India Art Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, but decided to remove them after receiving hate mail from a Hindu organisation.

“We were showing Husain’s works under tight security and CCTV surveillance, but decided to remove them fearing attacks,” Ashish Anand, owner of DAG, told AFP on Friday.

“We are still considering whether we can display them again,” he said, declining to reveal details of the message or organisation.

In early 2008, a painting by Husain influenced by a Hindu epic fetched $1.6 million, setting a then world record at Christie’s South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale.

In the same year, members of Hindu hardline group Bajrang Dal damaged his work at an exhibition in New Delhi.

Hindu groups have filed over 800 court cases against Husain and vandalised his house.

The three-day India Art Summit, which includes collections from 88 art galleries from India and abroad, offers rare global exposure for Indian artists.

It also provides an exploratory platform for overseas dealers who feel India’s booming economy is minting a sizeable pool of wealthy buyers interested in international art.

At the last summit in 2009, no galleries displayed Husain’s work because of security fears.


http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/21/india’s-top-painter-husain-pulled-from-show-over-threats.html

 

[Roybot]

Pakistanis should surely understand our sensitivities right?

Danish Cartoon, Facebook-draw a ---- day?

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

now, pray tell....

kind of like how a fire-cracker or stampede goes off in that neighbour country and we know in advance that they blame the ISI --- how did i know before even clicking on this thread that it would be hindu extremists who caused this intimidation and arm-twisting?

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

interestingly enough, I remember I was at a art exhibition in Model Town in late 2009.....there was a Sindhi hindu lady who had made coloured prints in which Quranic and hindu verses were embossed on a pulp paper with some other pastel colours on it

while possibly controversial, she wasnt attacked or threatened to withdraw from the event....in fact, the piece got some curious attention


so its interesting to see how yes --while we do have terrorist attacks in Pakistan (mostly soft targets) --while we do have politicans being threatened and murdered over political or religious beliefs ----we dont have artists and human rights activists being threatened and arm-twisted the way they are being in 'democratic' baharat

 

[Dance]

Pakistanis should surely understand our sensitivities right?

Danish Cartoon, Facebook-draw a ---- day?

Right, but at the same time indians shouldn't be hypocritical and say that Pakistan is going to "collapse" or "end" because some religious fundo's decide to cause drama in Pakistan when there are plenty of crazy people out there in india.

 

[ajtr]

Pakistanis should surely understand our sensitivities right?

Danish Cartoon, Facebook-draw a ---- day?

Why you always seek refuge behind pakistan?dont u 've ur own independent existence as a country that for every time u need pakistan's help in salvage urself?r u so worthless?

 

[Karachiite]

OMG!!!!!

I thought India was a peaceful country where their citizens knew no violence and harmony was everywhere. There is such thing as hindu extremists? I thought after muslims becoming president 4 times, every hindu would shower petals on muslims. Only Pakistan has people who hate non muslims because their religious government has made special terrorist groups to attack non muslims living in Pakistan.
I'm pretty sure ISI funds and trains these hindu extremists.

Few paintings that sent Bharat on the edge.

 

[Dance]

OMG!!!!!


I'm pretty sure ISI funds and trains these hindu extremists.

Uh-oh I think you just revealed ISI's top secret

 

[Roybot]

Pakistanis should surely understand our sensitivities right?

Danish Cartoon, Facebook-draw a ---- day?

Why you always seek refuge behind pakistan?dont u 've ur own independent existence as a country that for every time u need pakistan's help in salvage urself?r u so worthless?

I said Pakistanis not Pakistan. One human being should understand the sensitivities of other human being ? What is so wrong about that? You are the one who is talking about India/Pakistan. A country doesn't have religious sensitivities a person does.

I brought Pakistanis into this because the topic was started by a Pakistani. Just cause we come from rival countries doesn't mean we have to disagree and fight and everything and anything

 

[Roybot]

Right, but at the same time indians shouldn't be hypocritical and say that Pakistan is going to "collapse" or "end" because some religious fundo's decide to cause drama in Pakistan when there are plenty of crazy people out there in india.

TBH honest mate i can't speak for millions of Indians here on the internet. Just like you can't for the millions from your country who speak ill of India. I personally would never want Pakistan to collapse or fail or whatever

 

[ajtr]

I said Pakistanis not Pakistan. One human being should understand the sensitivities of other human being ? What is so wrong about that? You are the one who is talking about India/Pakistan. A country doesn't have religious sensitivities a person does.

even then my question remain same y u need to hide behind pakistanis to justify ur wrong.

I brought Pakistanis into this because the topic was started by a Pakistani. Just cause we come from rival countries doesn't mean we have to disagree and fight and everything and anything

And if indian starts same topic u people brand them pakii.

 

[ajtr]

TBH honest mate i can't speak for millions of Indians here on the internet. Just like you can't for the millions from your country who speak ill of India. I personally would never want Pakistan to collapse or fail or whatever

when SC itself has ruled in favour of Hussain then isnt it the hindu majority's terrorism against him?

 

[Paan Singh]

even then my question remain same y u need to hide behind pakistanis to justify ur wrong.

And if indian starts same topic u people brand them pakii.

here comes the mother of A Roy,nice fireworks

 

[Wounded-Monk]

when SC itself has ruled in favour of Hussain then isnt it the hindu majority's terrorism against him?

i agree with you.....one formal apology from him should do......

 

[ajtr]

i agree with you.....one formal apology from him should do......

Along with that indian govt must bring him to india with all honors and provide him SPG security which is provided to PM and gandhi family so that he can live in india without any fear.