Art v/s Sentiments: Undemocratic Battle!

Ban of Kashmiri rock band of girls, Ban on Kamal Hassan’s Vishwaroopam, Salman Rushdie: I Was Denied Entry to Calcutta

These are just a few headlines of the recent times that have really made people think whether art is really respected in India, a country that boasts about its richness in the field of arts. The country that has the largest democracy. But I wonder, whether the citizens of this country really enjoy the benefits of this democracy. According to Karl Marx’s theory the different forms of arts are the parts of superstructure of the society. And the superstructure often influences the society. It helps forming the views and thoughts of the society as a whole. In the words of Thomas Merton Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.And today, citizens of India are actually denied of this knowing and losing in a free environment. 

And the reason which is given for this denial is a system called the religion which is another superstructure of the society if we again refer to Marx’s theory. But today this has become a great tool in marring the creativity and individuality in our country. If the votes are won in elections on the basis of religion then why not killing someone’s art? Actually the art cannot be killed because once it’s produced no one even its creator cannot destroy it. But today, either the “sentimentally hurt” religious leaders or the “sympathy provider” political leaders have gained a meticulous power of killing the art. They declare a piece of art as “hurting the sentiments of some religion” and the best way to avoid hurting sentiments is “banning” the art. 

This idea of banning the art really frustrates any artist because art is meant to be the tool to know ourselves better. And when some individuals with some selfish motives whatsoever they maybe, try to stop the spread of art it does attacks the second right that our democracy gives us the freedom of expression. It is true that sometimes a piece of art can be a little “out of the box” or even something that is little indigestible to the society but that does not mean that piece or the maker should be defamed and banned. Thus, it is necessary that before criticizing or defaming a piece of art all the “sentimentally hurt” people should see and scrutinize the work first and then make a comment on it. Let us all not try to be the censor board. Because if “sheela ki jawani” and “zara zara kiss me kiss me” is fine for the audience then they should be able to digest the  disturbing yet the true facts about the country which certain works try to portray. Because art is not just entertainment, it’s also the enlightenment. Let’s get that clear in our minds and enjoy every piece of art aesthetically and not “sentimentally”!!