M F Hussain's artistic freedom is harassed-IBN-17Dec2006

By definition Freedom is, A right or the power to engage in certain actions without control or interference and lack of modesty or reserve.It is Mr Hussain's prerogative to express himself freely. It is not his fault that he is regarded highly and his paintings get wide publicity.I question the maturity of the few who try to "Protect" "womanhood""Hinduism" etc by blaming Mr Hussain for the direction his artistic creativity has taken.Our own sculptors and artists -of unknown religious inclination- depiction of these mythological figures be considered holy and worthy of reverence but by Mr Hussain offensive?If any should take offense its the saraswathi's lakshmi's or the phallic symbol Shiva. They cannot.I think Hinduism and its pantheon of gods have survived thousands of years of assaults,violations, insults successfully.Their very ability to turn the other cheek is what has given them long term survivability. They do not need such support through court cases by "the hurt sentiments" but by better practice of the tenets. This just blows a minor issue out of proportion. It is a gross waste of resources. Filing cases all over the country is designed to make the public figures run from pillar to post to defend himself. The courts should discourage these harassment techniques. These same hurt sentiments could be better directed to more urgent issues that face the nation like corruption and lawlessness.