I am ready to take the next flight home: MF Husain

With Indian government contemplating approaching the Supreme Court for fast disposal of cases against him, veteran Indian artist M F Husain, who is on self-imposed exile, on Friday termed it as the "greatest news" and said he was ready to take the next flight home if his safety is assured.

His remarks came days after Home Ministry sources in New Delhi said cases filed against Husain across the country over his controversial paintings should be brought to a logical end and that the Centre was contemplating moving the Supreme Court for their expeditious disposal to ensure his early return.

'I think this is a greatest news which I was dreaming about for four years. I was expecting this for a long time, after all I love my country, and people love me, except a very few who do not understand the language of modern paintings,' said the 94-year-old painter.

Asked if he could return in December, Husain told NDTV: 'Why December, if today (Home Minister P) Chidambaram gives me a call I will immediately take a plane and go to greet him first".

Husain, whose some paintings depicting Hindu deities in the nude led to protests and threats by saffron outfits, has been living in Dubai and London for the past few years.

He said the fresh indications from authorities were a "positive sign" and expressed trust in the government's ability to protect him.

'If they decide to do it they can, because its a huge big country and a great country,' he said.

'Of course it (India) is a democracy, so many views have to be respected within the framework of the law of the land,' Husain said.

Asked if he stood by his recent comment wherein he questioned the government's ability to protect him given that they had failed to safeguard his works from being vandalised by mobs, he indicated his opinion had changed.

'Till then there was nothing from the government and I was really disappointed by what was happening to me in the last 8-10 years... And now I think it is a very positive sign,' he said.

The Delhi High Court in May last year quashed some of the criminal proceedings against the nonogenarian painter, saying his paintings were an expression of creativity.

India's best-known painter said he was not the first artist to face protests from a section of people, and hoped his detractors would also develop an understanding for his work.

He said people have on several occasions in history protested against new forms of expression and "this is part of history".

'... They are little bit misguided, and so I think may be tomorrow they will understand because anything which is something new... when the impressionists came after the renaissance, there was a huge protest in Paris. They said this is like throwing colour on our faces, they walked out.'

Image: A file photograph of painter M F Husain at a restaurant in Ahmedabad
Photographs: Mayur Bhatt/ Saab Press