Was M F Husain right in accepting Qatari citizenship?
Yes, he has every right to… Poets, painters and other creative people have oftentimes led lives at odds with traditional values and moral standards. While this always riles the moral brigade, their acts have not necessarily transgressed the laws of the land, although detractors pretend otherwise. ‘Creative licence’ is the prerogative of artistes, as long as they don’t blatantly flout the nation’s laws. But in surcharged times when rabble rousers seek flimsy ruses to rake up irrelevant issues that earn them 15 minutes’ fame in local, national or international periodicals, it’s easy to step on such people’s toes. Given MF’s penchant for painting Hindu gods and goddesses in their natural glory, falling foul of the moral brigade was inevitable. The slew of cases and charges that then piled up were also inescapable. The primary prerequisite for most artistes to practise their vocation is peace of mind, solitude – which increasingly became a luxury for Husain in India. Travelling abroad to e
