Anarchy comes from the Greek word an = without and arkhos = ruler.

The times we live in with a PM in absentia, and his spokesman Mr. Kapil Sibal’s moronic statement “The PM is a notional concept”. Sheesh, Mr. Sibal, I hope you realize that the votes you get from me is also notional. But then I digress.

What is art? As a creative person, I can safely state that to me my writing, my art is something that helps me express, without any limitation, my mind. Art knows no boundaries. Art is definitely anarchic in nature. To grab eyeballs, to capture the imagination, it has to push beyond safe boundaries, beyond comfort zone.

And creative people soar so high into their own imaginative worlds that it shocks them, surprises them when they see the strong reactions that the fruit of their creativity brings. I am sure Taslima Nasrin found that out to her own horror, so did Salman Rushdie. Stéphane Mallarmé, was once quoted “Je ne sais pas d’autre bombe, qu’un livre.” (I know of no bomb other than a book.) I would say the same about a painting.

I got an email forward today which was Hussain bashing. Honestly the paintings depicted did not shock me. They did not even titillate. I mean, they were just forms of the female body, no detailing. Very artistically done and not vulgar at all. They were not portraits, like the portraits of his wife and daughter. Of course his wife and daughter sat down to get portraits done, and hence were clothed. Mother India or the numerous goddesses did not. Hence the forms were there.

Honestly people, what about the copulating statues of yakshas and yakshinis? What about Khajuraho?

This is the statue of the mother goddess in Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple which is one of the most celebrated Hindu shrines of Kerala. The temple is located in Chottanikkara town, 17kms away from Ernakulam. Rajarajeswari (Adiparasakthi) alias Durga Bhagavathy – the mother Goddess, is the presiding deity of the temple.

To know more click the link. This picture is worshiped in most homes of Hindu devotees.

Given the current intolerant and sensitive milieu we live in, the fact that Hussain is of Islamic faith played a huge role in his being singled out for special treatment, I guess.

I bet the poor man came out of his creative trance and said “Whoa, I did not sign up for this!”

We have had Shekhar Kapoor at loggerheads with censor boards, we have had other creative people at odds with moral police. The most creative way to express disgust at such repression was in May 1967 when the protesting students tarted up the walls of Paris with slogans like L’ennui est contre-révolutionnaire (Boredom is counter-revolutionary).

So let us just put this in perspective.

Hussain painted nude goddesses and mother India. The paintings upset some people who were non creative and considered them offensive. So they protested and Hussain, rather than waste energy fighting them, left. He went ahead and painted more, in another country. No, his form of expression could not be repressed, for all the moralistic jingoism. Now he is dead.

So why the hullabaloo? Art is by its very nature anarchic. It brings forth a lot of change, it pushes the viewer out of his comfort zone, and of course, it communicates to the soul. It is said that the devil played the fiddle. Rock and Roll was considered anarchic and devil’s music. Hussain’s paintings also touched some atavistic chord that led to so much unrest.

All I can say is that the rabble rousers will die – but his paintings will endure.

The Uber-Rich and The Babalog

I once wrote a blog post about the 3 Indias that co-exist in our country. The urban Baba-Log that are beautifully depicted by Karan Johar’s movies. These guys are rich, and definitely think that they have the divine right to rule. They look down on the wannabes and have a complete disconnect from the rural India. The Swiss Black Money Club (the uber rich) that reacted so violently, to protect their ill gotten fortunes are a part of this elite I feel. There was all this money to protect, children’s phoren education, a plush lifestyle etc etc. No wonder the corridors of power pulled a few strings, got the police to lathi charge folk sleeping at Jantar Mantar. And yes, Mr. Kapil Sibal, this is a democracy. Folk can peacefully protest, and aam janta gave you and your colleagues their job. Aam junta can ask for hisab too. Too bad it happened in your tenure, but there it is.

The Wannabes

Remember Khosla Ka Ghosla? Do Dooni Char? And the recent movie Band Baja Baraat? The movies represent the urban classes, that do not have the money. But they want it so bad! And they are the folk that conjure up fears of Indian culture being spoilt by foreign brands. Oh yes, they are the self proclaimed guardians of Indian culture and morality. They are the ones who will opt for cheaper preventive health care measures that Baba Ramdev offers in his Yoga. This India is the source of Baba Ramdev’s power. They want a finger in the pie too. They want the power held for so long by Baba Log. They are jingoistic, very patriarchal, but they appreciate the irony of the ruling party laughing at Ramdev fleeing wearing a salwar kameez.

The rural India

And in this they are being assisted by the third main India, the rural India. Omkara showed this class in its true colours. These Indians have not yet come into their own. When they do … well India is going to be a very different ball game altogether. They hate urban India, think we are fools. To them superstition, black magic make more sense than the black money that has the country in uproar. But they understand Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev. Hence they are supporting the Wannabes

I think that right now, the wannabes have served notice to the Baba log and what we are seeing is a struggle for power. The vernacular India has woken up and smelt the coffee. They have had enough and the rich people, so used to ruling in a feudal way are fighting to keep them from snatching the power out of their hands.

Wonder how this will end.

As of now, its the news channels that are laughing all the way to the bank.

Again, my thanks to the cartoonists who have given us such catchy images of the current events. I have published cartoons I recieved in email forwards, I claim no credit for them