M A I N   N E W S

Depicting Pakistanis as demons
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 27
Lord Rama killing the mythological multiheaded demon king Ravana who is wearing a Pakistani flag and standing atop Indian Parliament. No it is not some new version of the Ramayana rather it is a perception of an Ahmedabad-based artist Mohsin Shaikh, who paints such scenes to depict nationalism and capture the political sentiment by portraying the Pakistanis as modernday demons using ancient religious texts.

Shaikh is not a “Muslim card” of the BJP or the RSS who is used as a political statement. He is a painter of high repute whose works range from the modern to the mythological. The Pakistani angle to the demons has just been added recently to his collection of paintings. Each painting has a Sanskrit sholaka from the Bhagwad Gita. Shaikh was here at a function of the Forum on Integrated National Security at Panjab University in Sector 14 where his works have been displayed. Even RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan, who was at the seminar stopped by to have a look.

He has some more paintings where Hindu gods are seen running over demons who are portrayed as Pakistanis. In one painting he shows Lord Shiva killing a demon who is wearing a cap with a Pakistani flag. The modern-day demon is shown as attempting to attack Parliament when Lord Shiva kills him.

In another painting Lord Hanuman is shown carrying a mountain but it does not have the life saving “Sanjivini Butti” rather it has two temples. Hanuman has a flag in his hand which says “Jai Bharat” and most importantly the tail of the monkey god is on fire and the object on fire is the Pakistani flag. Shaikh says he has been painting since childhood and adds, “paintings of Hindu gods slaying Pakistani demons are strictly not for sale.”

So why does he, a Muslim living in Ahmedabad, paint Hindu gods.? Shaikh says “Allah never asked me if I would like to be born a Hindu or a Muslim. I was born into a Muslim family, thus I am a Muslim. India is one land and we have to run our lives here.” Besides this I did not want to be a slave to any subject I wanted to be limitless, therefore these paintings.

So, does he carry on living in Ahmedabad despite the turn in political events. Very much, says Shaikh. His wife, Qamar Shaikh, assists him.

Besides this art of making gods appear in modern “avtaars” as protectors of Parliament and temples, Shaikh has also painted India’s nuclear explosion, Monica-Clinton affair, Lady Diana’s death, Mother Teresa’s mission for upliftment of the down-trodden, Kargil war series and even cricket.