There have been so many incidents involving MF Husain’s art in recent times that one would have lost count. All, not surprisngly, have come from the Hindu fringe of rightists of our country.
When alleged Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists vandalised the Husain expo at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on August 24, they were able to demonstrate only one thing – that going on a rampage is the only form of self-expression that they know of. It subsequently came to light that the attack was carried out by a hitherto unknown band of Hindu rightwingers called the Shri Ram Sena.
This is probably where the problem lies. If you browse through the recent string of attacks by Hindu rightwingers on artists, playrights, couples all in the name of defending the Indian, nay Hindu, values of our society, you will find VHP and its fraternal organisations are not the main perpetrators.
The culprits are all dubbed as “hitherto uknown” this band or that. Not even ragtag coalitions of any kind. They appear just the one time that are incidental to the attack, and vanish into thin air before you can say blink a second time.
It is anybody’s guess as to whether it is a deliberate ploy of the official Hindu brigade to desist from involving themselves in incidents that give them a bad name. You can hardly catch hold of these “hitherto unknown” outfits to be able to trace them back to the guardians of Hindutva in our country.
Till such time, we have to keep guessing.
