HVK Archives: Hindu chauvinists are doing a Taliban on MF Hussain
Hindu chauvinists are doing a Taliban on MF Hussain - The Economic Times
Dilip Raote
()
10 October 1996
Title : Hindu chauvinists are doing a Taliban
on MF Hussain
Author : Dilip Raote
Publication : The Economic Times
Date : October 10, 1996
The Hindu Taliban are at it again, his time led by Mum-
bai's cultural imam, Pramod Navalkar. Their target is
artist MF Hussain, who's taken to Hindu and film goddess-
es ,after he was tired of horses.
Hussain is evolving, unlike his detractors who are going
back Into medievalism. It's bad for business and can
only add to the recession woes.
Ostensibly, Hussain is being attacked for depicting
Saraswati, goddess of learning, in the nude. Covertly,
it makes good politics to attract Hindus to the ballot
box in UP and in Mumbai's assembly by elections. In
truth, it is the beginning of a campaign against Woman.
And that should worry businessmen.
If Navalkar and his 'outraged' gang succeed in putting
Hussain behind bars and getting him convicted, censorship
would be given society's approval. The victorious fel-
lows will then move on to the next stage - curbing the
freedom of women.
Economic conditions in India, in keeping with global
trends, are ripe for a male chauvinist response. Male
employment as well as education levels are falling, while
those of women are rising. Combined with automation and
decline in new job creation, men are being eased out of
the job market. The rise in crimes against women in
recent years is an indication of this male resentment and
frustration
So, like the Taliban in Afghanistan, it might soon be
politically correct to put curbs on women. This will be
done in the name of 'family values' and fingers will be
pointed at divorce rates, the traumas of single-parent
children, the rise in teenage sex and crime, in prostitu-
tion, loosening of mores, and various other sociological
indicators.
The beginning of the end will come when Woman and Mother-
hood are deified. Woman will be put on the pedestal and
the pedestal will be placed In the home. Keep an eye on
Hindi films.
When the flirtatious, erotically dancing, scantily-clad,
aggressive heroines give way to sati-savitri, parent-
obeying role models, the male would be reasserting his
dominance again. Film producers anticipate the 'public
mood' far better than politicians and economists do. If
women are indeed 'persuaded' to stay at home and desist
from crowding the job market, the following businesses
will be hit hard; garments, fashion accessories, toile-
tries, instant foods, beauty parlours and health clinics,
cars and two-wheelers, housing and housing loans, washing
machines and other appliances (greater availability of
maidservants), restaurants and resorts, jewellery, and a
host of others which are dependent not only on women but
also on two-income families.
It's time representatives of CII, Ficci, Assocham, and
traders' associations did some strategic thinking and
called on Navalkar and made him understand that donations
to politicians and parties would drop significantly.
Economists could point out to him and 'Hindu' politicians
that cultural chauvinism can be a crucial factor in as-
sisting recession.
As part of the small talk during, the encounter, the
businessmen and economists could inform Navalkar about
censorship.
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