India's eminent artist M.F. Husain, who has been under attack from Hindu fundamentalists for his paintings of Hindu goddesses and has been living in Dubai and London, has been given Qatar nationality, it was reported here on Thursday.

"I, the Indian origin painter M.F. Husain at 95, have been honoured by Qatar nationality," the celebrated artist wrote above a line sketch of a horse, the leitmotif of much of his work. The black and white drawing was carried by The Hindu newspaper.

In a signed article, The Hindu editor N. Ram wrote that the artist had given him the news from Dubai "by reading out the few lines he had written on a black-and-white line drawing that he released to The Hindu".

According to the report, Husain did not apply for the nationality but it was conferred on him at the instance of the emirate's ruling family.

Photographer, designer and activist Ram Rahman, who is close to the Husain family, responded to the news by saying: "The citizenship has been offered by the sheikha, the wife of the sheikh of Qatar, and it has several implications.

"On a personal note, I feel it is quite clear that the man who is 95 years old and cannot return to his country to die, there is no point of him remaining an Indian citizen."

"It would be a tragedy. He has not given up his Indian citizenship yet but if he decides to take up the Qatari offer, he will not remain an Indian citizen anymore. It is also a reflection of our legal system because the cases against him will drag on for 20-30 years.... so it is justified if he takes up the Qatari offer," Rahman told IANS.

toi

sad

Thank you Qatar for accepting garbage which was abandoned...

95 ..doesn't matter..after few year he is about to die..then no use of this citizenship

intolerance is garbage...and all religions come under it...

Its good news for him.
As article says accepting qatar citizenship, means the cases against him will be pending forever. Ab gali gali kutton ki tarah bhagega to nahin.

@ topic
Gulf is best place for you to live, and now try to portrait muhammad living there, and explain to them the language of freedom in art and expressions

How bout Mohammad with aysha

tolerance has limit too....can't paint anyone and everyone nude under the pretext of freedom of expression

sad moment that a great artist and a national treasure cant even proudly call himself indian... an old man, cant even peacefully return back to his matrabhoomi to die because of extreme fundamentalist idiots.

great news tharki buddha z nt having a indian nationality nymore....wow

oo uncle tujhey bhi uss bhuddhey ke saath hi bhej dena chiyea tha....

tfs...

There is culture difference between islam and hinduism, islam does not have a history of nude painting, hinduism on the other hand have a history of nude culture however it depends on how you look, it was an art, like nude idols of sarawasti from the cholan empire, nude shiva and parvati having sex in various position it was an act of love captured with artistic sense.

Very sad. The way Hussain and Nasreen have been treated in India is a shame.

it is just an indicator how Muslim are treated in India,second class citizen