OPEN FORUM

New Delhi, 13 December 2007

Taslima vs MF Hussein

TALIBANISATION OF INDIAN SOCIETY?

By Syed Ali Mujtaba

There is a certain degree of similarity between Taslima Nasreen and MF Hussein. The first has hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslims. The latter, the sentiments of the Hindus. What could have been a rallying point of hurt sentiments has turned out to be a case of mud-slinging between the two dominant faiths in India.

 The curious part in this is that while there is sympathy for the Bangladeshi writer; the Indian Picasso (European painter) is forced to go into exile. This Talibanisation of Indian society is taking place right in front of our eyes and everyone seems to be maintaining a conspiracy of silence towards it.

There is little to choose between those who protested against Taslima Nasreen on the streets of Kolkata and those who have filed cases against MF Hussein. Both seem to belong to the same tribe though they may follow different faiths.

The glaring thing in Hussein’s controversy is: Hinduism has started wearing the glasses of the abrahaminic faith. There is every effort being made to make it its mirror image.

Hussein is not the first person to take liberty with Hinduism. Indian history is littered with instances where Hindu gods and goddess are being ‘depicted in objectionable terms’. The Jataka tales that forms the secondary source of Ancient Indian historiography cite many references of such contents.

Even today, in the North Indian plains, particularly in the tribal villages, before the Holi festival, the youth assemble for musical soirees in the evenings and such late night revelries ends up singing words full of eroticism about Hindu gods and goddess. Such oral traditions and local custom do not follow the city norms that are in vogue since time immemorial. There is nothing immoral about it.

Then why is Hussein being targeted? Is it because he has a Muslim sounding name? This is a difficult call but persons like MF Hussein cannot be cloaked into any faith. Such characters are above faith. In fact, they are national property. The irony is that instead of being acknowledged as such, some self-styled Indian Taliban’s have made him person-non-grata.

It seems the 92-year old Indian celebrity is heading to becoming another Bahadur Shah Zafar. Remember, the last Mughal King bemoaned not getting two meters of land for his burial in his own motherland.

There is no doubt that M F Hussein is one of the most respected painters of modern India. If we look at Hussein’s career there is hardly any anti-Hindu content in it. He is definitely not an anti-Hindu campaigner. The odd piece of work could be an aberration in his 90 years career as painter and he should be condoned keeping the best of Hindu traditions.

However, if we analyze Taslima Nasreen, she is a rank anti-Muslim rabble-rouser. There is nothing in her work but anti-Islamic content. That’s the reason she finds favour with the Sangh Parivar which has rolled out a red carpet for her.

The UP Chief Minister, Mayawati, has called the controversy surrounding Taslima Nasreen as a ‘Manuwadi’ conspiracy. She feels that the Saffron brigade has approved of the Bangladeshi writer simply because her anti-Islamic writings massage their ego.

There is little doubt that Taslima Nasreen is an anti-Islam writer. To pedal the label of a feminist Muslim reform writer on her name would be a great misnomer. She should be treated as an anti-Islam writer and there should be no qualms about it. The world is big enough to accommodate those who follow the Islamic faith and for those who like to denigrate it.

In the ultimate, the question that arises: Should India provide shelter to Taslima Nasreen or not? Keeping in mind the great Indian tradition, the country must give her all the comforts of life that she deserves. But with a rider: She should no more become a public nuisance.

However the fact remains, Taslima and controversy cannot live separately. Recall, nearly two months ago her statements in Bhopal hogged the limelight. She was seen spewing venom against Islam on a TV show. In Hyderabad, she was showered with petals and flower vases. In Kolkata it was a free-for-all. 

There are some who argue that Taslima Nasreen’s freedom of expression should not be curtailed. Yet, in the same breathe they advocate that the freedom to protest against her should not be allowed. Clearly, this is hypocrisy of the worst kind.

Everyone is not a writer and can protest by pen alone. If the Bangladeshi writer has a license to denigrate and abuse, others too have the right to protest in whatever means and form is available. Who is at fault? The abuser or the protestor? The irony of it all is that fingers are being pointed at the protestors.

What does this add up to? Taslima Nasreen is an asylum seeker in India. She does not enjoy the fundamental rights that average citizens of this country do. Even then she has been taking the liberty and offending a particular community and disturbing public peace. Will she be allowed to do so? Or should she be asked to pack her suitcase? ---- INFA

(Copyright India News & Feature Alliance)