Third Opinion

Response to Jug Suraiya(second Opinion)
Jug Suriaya has baptized MF Husain as ‘Hindu’ Husain?’(TOI 24th march)It fails my comprehension why the ‘secularists’ are laboring to prove the point that Husain is secular and had no evil design to denigrate Hindu gods and Goddesses. The author picks up a new line of defense for the artist. ‘The basis of Hinduism of what has been labeled as Hinduism is the opposite of zero tolerance: it is infinite tolerance. There are almost as many Hinduisms as there are Hindus; it is a designer religion..’ So we are reminded that in its infinite tolerance Husain can and must be allowed to express his perverted sexual expressions using Gods and Goddesses that is the litmus test of infinite tolerance according to Jug Suriya. MF Husain’s parampara is one Book, one faith, one path, one congregation, one god and Islam forbids any pictorial depiction of the Prophet So the parampara of Husain does not believe in artists and their freedom or for that matter any kind of personal freedom. Does that mean that he needs to operate the freedoms denied to him by his own religion on the ‘designer religion’ –Hinduism thus qualifying to becoming Hindu Husian? Ahomogenised Hinduism would not be Hinduism but a travestry of that myriad-threaded fabric asserts Jug Suriaya.Yes Hinduism is tapestry of a myriad threaded fabric woven and rewoven for thousands of years by the waft and the woof of rites and rituals of conventions and norms, of cults and god experiences of thousands of rishis it can be stretched to accommodate Husain’s vulgarization of what is held holy and sacred by the Hindus of all the Hinduisms? A person from zero tolerance faith and belief -one will expect to have some restraint in beholding this fabric so artistically and religiously and patiently woven for centuries. Can he so carelessly and ruthlessly tear it asunder? What is blasphemy according to his religion becomes infinite tolerance and hence valid namely to caricature and paint Hindu gods and goddesses. The Freedom gagged and denied to him by his own religion which he religiously abides by does not stop him from painting God and Goddesses in the nude but leads him with his brush to vulgarization and denigrate them. No matter what Jug Suraiya accedes to as ‘strength’ of Hinduism –the designer religion will not and cannot accommodate such perversity.
Jug Suraiya very artfully tries to tell us that the ‘strength’ in Hinduism is its infinite tolerance and by protesting Hinduism becomes weak. There are two aspects to this:-He wants us to accommodate Husain’s perversion under the ‘infinitely tolerant religion of Hinduism-.Husain the firm believer of zero tolerance cannot function to give full expression to his artistic freedom in his religion. The restraints of which he abides by to make him a good Muslim. Here there is no written restraints-Hinduism does not go by the Book rules but calls upon each individual to a self imposed discipline does not mean there is no discipline. Freedom to perceive and experience god in one’s own way is entirely different kind of infinite tolerance. One does not have to look to god though another’s eyes-nor does one’s experience be limited to another’s god experience. This is the infinite tolerance of Hinduism-the many paths that lead to the Ultimate. Such an infinite tolerance is on a different plane. It is not operational in allowing freedom to maine, brutalize and denigrate the Hindu gods and goddesses. For example the UK has no written Constitution, does it mean there are no rights and no Parliamentary democracy-when compared to those which have written constitutions I would say that UK’s parliamentary democracy is more disciplined and vibrant. Similar Jug Suraiya cannot use the absence of a Book-of written rules and regulations as to what amounts to blasphemy as a license for unrestraint freedom of expression-freedom to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. And all the secularists brand this infinitely tolerant Hindus as bigots, and Husain has an array of ‘secular’ apologists who are vociferously, through the media-both electronic and print, holding out the view that it is almost the duty of this infinitely tolerant Hinduisms to allow Husain to brandish his brush and disfigure that tapestry of a myriad threads woven beautifully depicting the facets of the One omni presence as Gods and Goddesses-of this ‘designer religion. And to allow such jihadi by brush under the Right to Freedom of Expression.. Jug Suraiya goes one step further-he wants the travesty of a myriad threads fabric to be shredded and torn apart when he warns that a militant Hinduism will rob Hinduism of its breath of tolerance. So what? If militant religions like Islam and Christianity can flourish be appreciated as ‘secular’and pampered to I do not see the need to continue this infinitely tolerant Hinduism in the face of zero tolerance and be branded as bigotry and communal. If the Kashmiri pandits were killed and driven out of their homes till date not rehabilitated what is the use of this infinite tolerance. Using this infinite tolerance to block and blotch human rights and community rights is no way of making a case to uphold this breath of Hinduism –tolerance. When zero tolerance cannot allow infinitely tolerant Hindus of Hinduisms their own homes and hearths? So Jug Suraiya’s premise to test the strength of Hinduism by allowing anything and anyone to do anything and everything under the garb of its infinite tolerance is a bad case. It cannot co-exist.
And the brief for Husain does not end here-Jug Suriaya has elevated his client as an example-his testimony to the capacity of tolerance of Hinduism-that in it there can be no scandalous liberties to be censored-MF Husain becomes a Hindu and a good one too-by his adherence to the zero tolerance of his own religion Islam he becomes a good Muslim also. Eat the cake and have it too-policy. Do to others what you expect others to do to you-is also a Book faith diktat is conveniently overlooked. How very succinctly Jug Suraiya has led us down the path with such carrots.. and full praise for ‘Hinduisms’ and its strength. In its strength lies the message not to fight-not to face the challenge-look the other way no matter what is done to you and your gods and goddesses. No matter the insults and the injuries your strength is to allow such things. This is a strange advice and message to uphold Freedoms. It is an aberration of Freedom. Too long this infinite tolerance has been exploited and too long the Hindus have thought that ‘strength’ means to look the way. It is time to stem the rot and it is time to face the challenge and expect everyone, artist or no artist to abide by the law of the land-irrespective of religion and age. We are a secular society and religious rules must be subsumed in civil law and civil liberties. You cannot use one’s religious laws for some and civil laws for others, All Indian citizens must and should fall under one law and thus will Justice and Truth be upheld.
Dr Mrs Hilda Raja,
Vadodara