Salil Tripathi has a piece entitled “The right to be offended” in today’s International Herald Tribune about the attacks on M.F. Husain:

This month in London, Kamlesh Sharma, the Indian high commissioner, inaugurated an exhibition of his early work. Calling him India’s greatest modern artist, Sharma said, “Husain’s career and success mirrors closely the meteoric rise of contemporary Indian art on the international stage.”

And yet with all of his accomplishments, Husain faces the risk of prosecution - in India. His alleged crime? A painting of Bharat Mata, or Mother India, in the nude. This work comes on top of many paintings over the years that show several revered Hindu female deities in the nude. Hindu nationalists have run a decade-long campaign against Husain; now, quixotically, India’s center-left governing coalition is supporting them. There have been ripple effects: Because of threats from Hindu nationalists, the London exhibition has been closed.

Also see Nick Cohen’s article in the Observer.

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