June 11, 2007 - Meeting at the adda after a long time

Bhartesh: I wish we had the time (and energy) to carry on the discussion about art and religious sentiments that we began this evening. I am still not sure what more can I say on this widely debated topic. I run the risk of being inane and repetitious as I try to air my views but then ... what's the harm.

On Laltu's blog a few days back I wrote a comment, half-jokingly, that people who need to be jailed are not the artists but those who find their works objectionable, those whose religious sentiments are hurt at the drop of a hat, or some other piece of habiliment. Sensitive people deserve special protection, don't they? I also mentioned that right to blaspheme should be a part of our fundamental rights, like the right to profess any religion with complete freedom. And then I added, "Having said that, it can be argued that that young artist didn't mean to be blasphemous."

Half-jokingly is also half-seriously.

The points I wanted to make were:

1. As diverse cultures and traditions--secular and religious included--come together in a technologically advanced society, unusual forms of expression are bound to appear. These may not necessarily have any moral or immoral motivation but just a postmodern desire to be playfully serious. Or seriously playful--as art should be. They must be recieved in the same spirit.
2. True believers will never get affected. They are already sufficiently otherworldly to not let these things bother them anyway. For a majority of them, their fervent committment to their faith or the icons is matched only by their complete ignorance of art-forms and their traditions. This whole affair is just a sign of end-of-days or the kalyug. And they take it with a pinch of salt. So the core of religion is not shaken, or more precisely religious tradition kept alive in the midst of devotees remains unscathed. Those making the din are a bunch of ruffians half-educated even in their foolishness. They must be ignored.
3. But obviously you can't ignore them. They are there on all the TV channels. Remedy: Switch off your TV and go take a walk to the nearest temple or whatever other place of worship. Just observe the far more profound ruckus created by the devotees and you will realize that the above mentioned ruffians are wasting their time to save what is already impenetrable.
4. Artists should be allowed to create what they want to. A complete freedom must be allowed to them to craft, create and compose whatever they feel gives expression to their inner urges. This also requires that they are provided with high-quality, rigourous trainining modules and faculty, which instill in them vision and not just technique. Vision is paramount, so that they create not just to titillate (though that might be one of the motives) but to redesign reality for the contemporary eyes and ears.
5. Most importantly, you can't terrorize people into becoming responsibile beings. Responsbility (the catch-word for the art-illitrates) is something that grows from within.

Looking forward to hear from you,

Ashish