It's an old equation, individuals poised against mobs. One guy's opinions/ideas/thoughts/creativity/ expressions pitted against
sensibilities / thought processes of many (say society). What's right and what's wrong? Thoughts initially opposed vehemently by masses, gain acceptability and these thoughts themselves entrench so much into masses that they themselves become dogma. Is there anything absolute or has to be taken into perspectives of many parameters like time, geography, religion, society etc etc...
You may wonder what got me into this debate: It started with certain paintings, movies, plays being boycotted and people behind it being portrayed as protagonists by media to have carried banner of 'freedom of expressions'. I am firmly against those media favorites who blabber their way on main news channel. I think all real intellectuals should invite these media darlings to stand actual (not convenient...) point of reasoning... anyways that's besides the point.
Freedom of expression comes with responsibility. For an idea to come to its age, needs persuasion and not brow beating.
We live in civilized society which makes laws and regulations for its own benefit. In absence of those, we still would have lived in caves. Now there might be some laws that may not be acceptable to few but still one has to follow them. Similarly there are collective sensibilities & mannerisms which cannot be depicted in legal or constitutional framework. It's the duty of constitution to safeguard freedom to express against anything. But it is the responsibility to incumbent to cater to collective sensibilities. Does that mean an artist has to sacrifice his thoughts and confirm to mass mentality. I firmly say No, he can still say what he wants to but he has to adapt and evolve just as companies do to make their product more suitable to customers.
There is a lesson here as art can be compared with any other trade to satisfy public's senses which are their customers. Art cannot be within itself when no one likes that...
They are not islands. They need to evolve and innovate to suit their audience...
But their freedom to express must be guaranteed and also it's the artist's responsibility to meet both the ends..
Its as simple issue, don't need to give any other connotations....
Author runs a blog http//nayakgiri.blogspot.com
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