The Times of India reports that the Indian government is making an effort to clear the cases against M.F. Husain in the hopes that he’ll return home. But the 94-year-old artist points out that fear of the government is hardly what keeps him away:

“What are they talking about?” asked Husain in a telephonic conversation with TOI from Dubai. “The India Art Summit held in August this year did not feature a single work by me. The reason given was that they could not afford to take the `risk’. How will they protect me if they cannot protect my work? How can I trust them?”

The artist feels that it’s not just a question of legal cases against him. That did not force him to leave India. What caused his exile were the threats of physical harm to him by saffron groups. He wondered what would happen to him if he actually returned. “They can, of course, promise me a bullet-proof car and the works. But, then, did Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi have any less security?”

Protect Me? (Times of India)