London, May 6: M.F. Husain’s friends in London, where he is expected next month, have urged the arts and political establishment to stand up for “India’s greatest living artist”.

Husain, who will turn 92 on September 17, has been living in Dubai for the past 8-10 months because he fears he might be the target of an attack if he returns to Mumbai.

“He’s a free bird and likes to move around, go for a walk or an Irani chai, but he fears someone might push him violently,” said a friend. Husain had told the friend: “If I fall down, I may not get up again.”

“He’s very frail,” the friend added.

Husain has loyal supporters in London who accused his Hindu militant detractors in India of orchestrating a national and international campaign against him. “They are taunting the authorities and police for not taking action against him,” a source said.

The arts community in Britain — and in America — have ridiculed the charge that Husain’s paintings have depicted Hindu goddesses in an obscene manner. When his paintings went on display at Asia House in London, high commissioner Kamalesh Sharma reflected the Indian government’s official thinking and hailed Husain as “India’s greatest living artist” when inaugurating the exhibition.

The exhibition was later cancelled when vandals defaced two of the paintings by daubing them with red paint.

Nevertheless, major solo exhibitions of Husain’s work are planned in London.

Human rights groups in London want art galleries and artists in India to show greater support for Husain. His friend pointed out: “Prices of Indian art at auctions in the West have gone up mainly due to the pioneering work by Husain.”

Husain, he said, was expected to attend one of his exhibitions in America before coming to London in June.

Unlike Asia House in London, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts — where Epic India: M.F. Husain’s Mahabharata Project went on display last year and will remain so until June 3 — appears to be made of sterner stuff. The exhibition features 20 works inspired by Husain’s vision of the Mahabharata.

The Boston Globe reported that one anti-Husain group, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, wrote to the museum before Epic India opened in November, urging its officials to cancel the exhibition.

“Mr Husain has a history of repeatedly and callously hurting Hindu sentiments by depicting Hindu deities in lewd, compromising positions,” the letter said.