By IANS,
New Delhi : Under attack from sections of the Hindu right and hopping between Dubai and London as he lives out his last years as a homeless itinerant, India’s most celebrated artist M.F. Husain has reportedly been offered Qatar nationality.
The 95-year-old celebrity painter, who has hundreds of lawsuits against him across the country for his paintings on goddesses that many Hindus find sacrilegious and has been living abroad as a fugitive since 2006, said he has been “honoured” by Qatar.
“I, The Indian origin painter M.F. Husain at 95 have been honoured by Qatar nationality,” Husain wrote above a line sketch of a horse, the leitmotif of much of his work. The black and white drawing was carried by The Hindu newspaper.
In a signed article, The Hindu editor N. Ram wrote that the artist had given him the news from Dubai “by reading out the few lines he had written on a black-and-white line drawing that he released to The Hindu”.
According to the report, Husain did not apply for the nationality but it was conferred on him at the instance of the emirate’s ruling family.
The news found emotional resonance amongst his friends and fans.
Photographer, designer and activist Ram Rahman, who is close to the Husain family, responded to the news by saying: “The citizenship has been offered by the sheikha, the wife of the sheikh of Qatar, and it has several implications.
“On a personal note, I feel it is quite clear that the man who is 95 years old and cannot return to his country to die, there is no point of him remaining an Indian citizen.”
“It would be a tragedy. He has not given up his Indian citizenship yet but if he decides to take up the Qatari offer, he will not remain an Indian citizen anymore. It is also a reflection of our legal system because the cases against him will drag on for 20-30 years…. so it is justified if he takes up the Qatari offer,” Rahman told IANS.
Ghazanfar Zaidi, dean of the faculty of fine arts at the Jamia Milia University, which has a M.F. Husain Gallery, added that the artist had accepted the honour.
“He has been offered Quatari citizenship and I think he has accepted it. It is justified since he has not been getting any response from India, if some nation offers him a nationality, he has to accept it.”
The university, which has a separate gallery devoted to Husain, is waiting for more works. “We will be glad if Husain saab lends us more works.”
In Kerala, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said Husain was free to live anywhere in the country but he should understand that there was a limit to the expression of freedom.
“Husain should be careful that even though there is expression of freedom, but it should take place without hurting the sentiments of others,” Bhagwat told reporters.
“He does not have to apologise to me, but his deeds have hurt a lot; it would be good if he does not hurt others.”