Buddha, the Taliban and Pakistan-
I have been working on this composition for quite a while. I was angered, rather revolted by what the Taliban were doing in the pristine Swat valley that has recently undergone full scale war. What has the peaceful and serene Buddha to do with the war on terror and US imperialism in Afghanistan? I have friends who try and explain that the regrouped and re-energised Taliban represent the angst against the US occupation of the Pashtun lands. Perhaps there is some truth in this. But my Gautam, what was his fault? He only talked of peace in this region and only asked us to traverse and preserve our humanity.
Who are these butchers of culture? What Islam they follow? They have no religion except barbarity and tribal notions of revenge and blood-letting. There is no excuse for the vandalism against our vital heritage – Pakistan will be a poorer place if these mad, roving fundamentalists would remove all the signs of our pre-Islamic heritage and ancient cultures.
So this painting evolved in those days of anguish. I remembered a broken Buddha head that was discovered from Swat decades ago and thanks to my useful library I got the picture. So I took the Taliban flag background, which is tri-coloured (that should be black in my not so humble opinion); and transposed the Buddha on top and to indicate my fears, I painted the star and the crescent on the green portion to represent the Muslim part of the Pakistani flag.
So this is the little story that led to the painting above. My partner likes it and a few friends who saw it, also appreciated it. I have to thank my art teacher for guiding me through the shades and shadows with little [master] strokes here and there..
I plan to do a series on it. But I will have to travel to Swat; and I am not sure when will situation normalise there. In the meantime, I plan to rely on my Gandhara books and twopence imagination.
First published here
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Er…I am no artist…but I suppose that a bit more of black eating into the image of Buddha’s head would’ve conveyed the message even more strongly…
Good post.
BTW, I apologize for the very late response from your comment on my blog so if you still want to repost my blog entry on similar subject matter feel free to.
Taliban is not an islamic movement. Its a regional mafia ! They have nothing to do with Islam. B***** !
Guess out of destruction, comes something new (if you can look at it in a positive way, that is). Nice work…definitely a good beginning!
milieu,
‘Guess out of destruction, comes something new’ however, that does not redeem the destroyer or condone the destruction. Yes, the destruction can bring humanitarians such as Raza to raise a voice against the act, but again the act of destruction cannot be retracted.
The destruction that (eternally) trails from the Talibans is indeed revolting! It’s putrid sense of brutalising and slaughtering is nonsensical. Why the Buddha?!
Apart from the deep loss of the Buddha, Raza has opened dialogue by painting this. The emotive language in the way Raza has painted the face is in absolute ‘torment’, maybe a sense of poigmant beauty lost over destruction. Particularly, I am enjoying the form of drawing of the face – the broken head. Indeed, the painting depicts many emotions – almost like time has suspended!
Continue to inspire, open dialogue and bring meaning to those of us who are always reflecting and challenging the ‘norm’ (whatever that is).
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[...] Gautam’s anguish To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player. F.decorate(_ge(‘button_bar’), F._photo_button_bar).bar_go_go_go(2579758303, 0); F.decorate(_ge(‘photo_notes’), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(2579758303, ‘http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2579758303_878e1d3ecd_t.jpg', ’3.1444′); View Jahane Rumi’s map Taken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here) I have been working on this composition for quite a while. I was angered, rather revolted by what the Taliban were doing in the pristine Swat valley that has recently undergone full scale war. What has the peaceful and serene Buddha to do with the war on terror and US imperialism in Afghanistan? I have friends who try and explain that the regrouped and re-energised Taliban represent the angst against the US occupation of the Pashtun lands. Perhaps there is some truth in this. But my Gautam, what was his fault? He only talked of peace in this region and only asked us to traverse and preserve our humanity… For more read http://www.razarumi.com/2008/02/16/buddha-the-taliban-and-pakistan/ [...]
[...] celebrated artiste Vidya Rao from Delhi has sent this tender and profound letter after reading my post on destruction of Buddhas in Swat (and the painting that was inspired by the vandalism). I am reproducing this letter with [...]
Gautam Buddha and his message is eternal and though the men roaming these lands at the moment seek to erase all trace of him,they cannot erase his message.May serenity reign again in this troubled land.
Barbarianism; Killings (Group / Mob Killings / Lynching); Murder; Rape; Looting; Burning alive… have nothing to do with religion.
However it is related to a sick mental state : “Sadism”.
“Crime” is allowed in the name of religion (in SE Asia). It has an un-written societal approval. Tacit approval ? Looking the other way.. i.e.
Gather a group of people and attack. Call it “Mobocracy” if you may. That is PURE FASCISM with no room for logic / argument. Might is right. “Jiski Laathi, Uski Bhaains” as they say in Hindustani.
RDX is mightier than the Pen ! That is the mental shift… the ugly mental shift. Kill people – blame it on someone else – and enjoy the high !
The day Bamiyan Buddha Statue was demolished, i knew disaster was around. It was an ugly act – and cannot be covered / justified at all. These cruel things can be perpetrated only by “sick” minds, who cannot appreciate beauty. They want to “Erase” the past. Some others want to “Erase” some other monuments too… They have their counterparts all around. What for ? There is an inherent desire… to destroy something and build SOMETHING else in its place. “Nirmaan ke liye.. Dhwasta karna avashyak hai.. Kya ham ko sanket dena padega”… the ugly rhetoric… suits their mental conditioning. The Taliban does it in Afghanistan/Pakistan. The Hindu Taliban do it in India.
Its the same dirty mindset.. Hatred is like bad odour / smell. It is inherently bad… whether covered in safforn or green cloth.
THAT desire to “REPLACE” runs deep in SE Asia. The desire to be totally different from the “Other” (The percieved / imagined enemy is vital. If there is not that enemy, create that enemy). Erase the the “other-liness”. Erase the composite quality of cutlure and make it monotonous.. and regional.
In 1948, a Librarian (who maintained that very Library for 30 years), in a rage of hate, burnt a whole library of Jamia-e-Osmania, Hyderabad AP ! A library he nurtured and catalogued ! Hate engulfed him and he burnt a whole library, a whole heritage. He thought he was contributing to “Erase” something !
Substitute “Global” world view with a narrow “Tribal/Village” world-view… Ambedkar had said something beautiful on this.. but i would rather not quote it.. Everyone knows it.. so no need for repitition.
The casualty of such narrow vision is : Culture and Civilisation.
But who cares for culture and civilisation., even the next generation. Politicians are focused on Elections ! The surest way to win elections is to bomb innocent people… kill innocent people.. instigate riots… Inject hatred [Thru Hate Speech 24x7]., divide society… and ride to electoral victory (make money i.e.). Politics is big business today. (Big business was always tied to politics, anyway).
SE Asians have understood “Democracy” in the form of “Mobocracy”. Their minds are conditioned that way.. and that is the curse.
From a Civilisational perspective, i am afraid, the whole of SE Asia is engulfed by the tsunami of hate. HATE SPEECH must be banned in Afghanistan.. Pakistan.. India.. Bangladesh.. Sri Lanka.. Bhutan and Nepal. How hate breaks hearts… damages mindsets.. makes kids “sick” ! SE Asian socieities may be growing at 10% annually (10% growth for 10% i.e.)., but from another perspective… i think.. the standards are getting lowered.
People who participated in Gujarat mob-violence/pogrom 2002 were almost all formally educated. Why formal “Education” could not make them better men and women ? It is because their education was dipped in the cyanide of hatred. So while they learnt to read and write.. even get degrees.. they remained dirty souls. Same goes for the sick people who broke statues in Bamiyan and Swat.
Perverts and Sick minds are beyond passports and national flags (rags of coloured cloth to fool mobs).. Perversion must be fought.. but how ?
Vidya Rao speaks of the finer things of life… In the stench of a gutter., she throws a jasmine flower… Her sincerety is commendable… but as Andre Malraux had said.. evil succeeds only when good remains silent. Good people must GET UP to clean the clogged drainage ! Sully their hands.. That would be the greatest service to SE Asia.
One will have to get into the gutter.. to clean it. That is the Karma… The eternal message of Gita too.. is to clean up the mess.. time and again… time and again… time and again. It is an eternal story.. like the Ganga… which is also called Su-bhadra as it gets close to Calcutta.