M.F.Husain: A Portrait of India's Intolerance
WALL STREET JOURNAL
By Salil Tripathi
INDIA - Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011) was India's most celebrated painter, and his death in London last week was front-page news across the subcontinent. However, Husain's story says much about modern India. The penal code makes it a crime "to outrage religious feelings" and also outlaws "promoting enmity" between different groups on the basis of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language—and the all-inclusive "etc." Vigilantes attacked his works and damaged the studio of a television network that polled its readers on whether Husain should be given India's highest civilian honor.[link]
By Salil Tripathi
INDIA - Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011) was India's most celebrated painter, and his death in London last week was front-page news across the subcontinent. However, Husain's story says much about modern India. The penal code makes it a crime "to outrage religious feelings" and also outlaws "promoting enmity" between different groups on the basis of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language—and the all-inclusive "etc." Vigilantes attacked his works and damaged the studio of a television network that polled its readers on whether Husain should be given India's highest civilian honor.[link]
