Husain conferred Qatari citizenship

95-year-old artist MF Husain, who has been living in exile in the UAE and United Kingdom ever since he was forced to leave the country for fear of his life, has now been conferred citizenship by the government of Qatar.

"I'm honoured by Qatar nationality but deeply saddened by my forced exile. I, the Indian-born painter, will have to give up the citizenship of my land of birth if I accept nationality," the Hindu newspaper quoted Husain as saying.

Artists reacted with shock. Mumbai based artist Ajay Dey said, "It's indeed very sad. We say we're a democracy but it's all hypocrites talking. If you're politically aligned you can say and do anything but what of the common man? It makes me uneasy about my own work and my safety as a creative person."

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 said.

India does not recognise dual citizenship and therefore Husain will be forced to give up his status as an Indian to become a Qatari national.

Husain was forced to leave India in 2006 following protests by Hindu right wing groups over his paintings where he depicted Hindu goddesses as nude on canvas.