Galileo Galilei defended Heliocentrism, a quantum step towards a scientific truth, away from Geocentricism and the antagonized church awarded him life imprisonment, narrowly avoiding death sentence. Defiant Galileo said "Eppur si muove" which means And yet it moves (Nonetheless, it moves).
Bertrand Russell was against conscription, atomic bombs and several other things. Once he was sentenced to six months in Brixton Prison for his views published in an article. He was arrested at the age of 89, during a demonstration against the atomic bomb. One of the finest thinkers of 20th century is at loggerheads with the state for expressing views.
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer, one of the finest chess players of our times had to live and die in exile as a fugitive from justice for his anti-American and anti-Semitic views. He lived a reclusive life in Iceland and died in Reykjavik.
Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1991 continues to be in the custody of junta.
India's 95-year old renowned painter M F Husain, often called as Picasso of India, who has been under attack from some religious fundamentalists for his paintings of Hindu goddesses has been given Qatar nationality and he had to relinquish his Indian nationality.
Moral of these real life stories is that one can express views against institutions governing religion or nation or military or so called moral police at the cost of being exiled and persecuted till death or may be even after. At the same time, a safe life and haven are guaranteed to murderers, plunderers of national wealth, corrupt officials, mafia etc. at taxpayer’s expense.
Heart rendering account.Very nice!!
ReplyDeleteIt is forunate for Mr. Husain for drawing parallel with Galileo and Bertrand Russell. For creativity and nudity he has many more objects and characters to choose from.
ReplyDeletePlease read Cho Ramaswamy.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/blogs/others/feel-free-mr-husain-go-paint-qatari-leaders-773
The abstractness of MF Hussain is subject of selected and elite groups. For majority it is distortion, disfiguring and noxious.
This civilized, democratic society has many idetities like artists, intelligent, leaders, rich, poor, religious, rational etc. Every one has freedom to live as one feels like and civility is to get that right by accepting others rights. This premise should draw the boundaries for artists or specially talented people.