During the 80s, Panjab, my homeland went through a difficult period. Indira Gandhi government created a Sikh separatist leader in the Panjab, as result a lot of young Sikh joined this separatist movement.

Though I always support genuine freedom movements; but this movement was created by the government itself and went out of hand. As a result thousand of innocent people were killed.
As an artist from the same land, I took a stand on shared Panjabi cultural values and heritage by all Panjabis, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, I did not want to my homeland to be devided again, as it happened in 1947 with a huge loss of life.
During this difficult period, once I was visiting the Panjab, and was interviewed on the TV; when I publicly emphasised the shared values of all Panjabis. After my Panjab visit, when I retuned to Britain, I received a letter with no return address but stamped in the Pakistan.
It was a letter from young Sikh, who had joined the separatist movement, taken refuge in Pakistan. He happened to watch my interview on the Panjabi TV, wrote me a very passionate letter. He was troubled that how much of the Panjabi culture had been lost due to industrialisation and globalisation, plus by the short-sighted politics of the Indira Gandhi Government in Delhi.
In this letter, he also said, “We both are fellow Panjabi artists, only difference is that you create using hammer and chisel but I create using AK 47.” This was the first time my work was compared in such context. Though I will never support the use of AK47 or any kind of arms as a creative tool or tool for change.

According to Oxford dictionary, anyone who practices a practical skill could be called an artist. As a result ‘Art’ and ‘Artist’ word has been freely used, I would say freely abused.
William Laurence reporting in New York Times on August 9, 1945, called the bomber plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, ‘The Great Artiste’ (sic).
Any way who am I to object for such use of these words, when the very language we all use to communicate ‘English’ is not my language at the first place. The guardians of this language are the two big powers, who have the monopoly over the use and meaning of these words.
Language is after all such a potent tool, you may be called the ‘freedom fighter’ in your language, but once you are called ‘terrorist’ in English no one will be able to challenge it. You can be sent to Guantánamo Bay without any further proof.

My friends, we are left with no choice but to use this very language for our expression of communication and creativity. If we don’t, we shall not be heard at all. I also use it, as it happened to be, a borrowed tool of communication and expression.

We artists express our new idea/thought to share our concerns or passions to share with the world, without harming others. That is where we differ from other kind of artists, who wish to change the world by direct action of a gun or a bomb.
Does it mean anyone who uses his words creatively to change the world, not AK47 is an artist?
It would mean George Bush or Tony Blair, for that matter Osama Bin Laden too, who probably never raised their hand on anybody, but used their words creatively, that resulted in huge loss of life, are artists too.
I am sure you would not agree to call them artists; because we all consider their actions morally wrong. I must admit that I do have some sympathy for the cause of Bin Laden.
Reading Bin Laden biography written by Adam Robison, one can’t stop to admire his total dedication to his cause and his relentless zeal to the mission. That seems very close to the mission Van Gough pursued. I certainly have little sympathy; rather I abhor the vulgarity of Damien Hurst using the cover of art to sell his diamond studded skull for 100 million Dollars.
My friends more we try to justify our creativity in this crowded world, more we will find ourselves in the corner. Our strength lies in what we create. If our work can give a different insight into human mind and remind people they are human beings and so are ones we go and kill as enemies.
If we remain true to our work, carry on doing it, even without any immediate rewards/recognition, as Van Gough did in his hard days. Our work will survive beyond the changes brought by the use of AK47 and nuclear bombers.

Avtarjeet Dhanjal
First published in 'Universal Colours' Helsinki