Right of freedom of expression and politics of Intimidation

Right of freedom of expression and politics of Intimidation
Ever since the report about MF Hussain being honoured with the citizenship of Qatar [Hindu-25-02-2010] appeared, there has been a huge debate about it – less about him accepting the citizenship and more on how India as a nation has lost out on one of its legendary artiste and citizen.
The debate has failed to underline the real issue and reduced it to a mere topic of drawing room discussion for couple of days and probably till the issues loses its importance in the high profile social circuits. No doubt that it is sad development and a huge loss for us as a nation. But do we really care? Do we even want to understand what caused it?
Why is this such a big issue? Just because it is about MF Hussain and the government failed to look after him or protect him? There are hundreds and thousands in this country who have faced similar situations and threats while carrying out their regular official duty or creative pursuit. Be it an honest government employee or theatre personalities presenting many of our social evils in a theatrical programme-all have been subjected to similar intimidation.
Remember Safdar Hashmi-brutally murdered in Delhi while performing a street play, Halla Bol? Remember Medha Patkar, Baba Amte and Anna Sahib Hazare? They have been subjected to such humiliating and “intimidating “suffering hundreds of times, while working and representing a cause of public good. Their efforts got international repute and they continued to live in India despite such threats.
What about Shahrukh Khan and Amir Khan? Were they not subject to similar intimidating attacks over MNIK and Fanaa? What about hundreds of musician, performing artiste, writers and poets who have done our country proud, also have been subjected to harassment of most difficult order for just demanding a respectful position in the society and a decent share of facilities and support from the government and people of India. Is that also not an intimidation of a kind?
More over there are thousand common people who have subjected to brutal acts of intimidation and made to rum for safety of their lives. At least in his case it probably never came to being a question of livelihood and survival as it happens to be in case of hundreds of Bhopal gas victims, hundreds of victims of rape by some rich and influential people, farmers displaced by high profile projects. They all have been facing worse threats if not similar to what Mr Hussain must have gone though.
None of these people have left their country-India. They have continued to live here and face the situation as it happens. In fact I would probably put Mr Husaain in the same group as thousand of doctors, engineers, architects and businessmen who left this country for better prospects or for not being able to work in this so called flawed “system”.
By deciding to leave this country for any reason does not make a statement on the failure of any government to provide either a conducive working or creative environment or the security or protection. If at all it should do so.. it should be for the common man first and then probably for all the important and the mighty ones.
So what is the issue? Is it government verses the celebrity artiste fighting for right of expression? I think to say yes would be a very trivial. It is us-the so called civil society. We have allowed ourselves to be intimidated. Let us face it is in us- it is in our society. We use such means to bring out the frustration of not being able to appreciate life in its entirety and enjoy it in its fullest aesthetic sense. The intimidation is in that corrupt babu who demands a bribe in carrying out what is his duty. The intimidation is in those politicians trying to divide the society for their petty political gains. The intimidation is in continuously degrading sensitivity towards art, literature, music and dance and performing arts. As a whole it is about not being able to appreciate what life is all about in a very pure and aesthetical sense.
The artiste fraternity have a huge role to play to make the society at large understand and realise how important and integral part the fine arts and performing arts can be of our collective social existence and how these can contribute in bringing about a change in the way we behave. Probably there will be less of such kind of people who would misunderstand our artistic creations and in turn not create bad blood amongst different sections of the society.
Lack of this understanding coupled with ever degrading standards [sometimes nonexistent] of public debate of such national importance has left the civil society at large fall prey to dirty games of some small highly misguided and disoriented groups who claim to me the protector or guides of cultural and ethical code of conduct for the society. Very rarely we have seen the civic society take on such groups- one such example being release of MNIK despite the all out attempts by one such political outfit to block it. But then Shahrukh Khan did not disown India and run away from it. The civic society supported him.... only because he chose to be part of it at any cost.
Gandhiji is definitely more relevant today than ever before. Be the change that you want to see.
Mr. Hussain.. come back and be part of us. Be here and be an Indian! Be here to defeat the very system which probably you blame for your exile. Our people have shown exemplary courage and togetherness to defeat the system, whenever similar situations have been thrust upon them [read Ruchika molestation case]. And I am sure the whole nation will be with you.