Taslima ready to stay in Bengali hub
OUR BUREAU
New Delhi/Calcutta, Dec. 22: Taslima Nasreen today said it was not the Centre but she who had suggested that she stay at Chittaranjan Park in the capital.
Government sources said this was the first time they were hearing that Taslima had no problem staying at CR Park. Till now, it had only been Calcutta or nothing for her.
Seeing it as a positive signal, the government said the controversial author was probably looking for a face-saver. “Providing security to Taslima at CR Park is not impossible. Dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi also stayed there under Delhi police protection. She was shot dead after she shifted to her Ashoka Road residence,” said an official.
Sources said Taslima had told officials “how can you compare Calcutta with a small locality” when they offered her accommodation at the Bengali hub in south Delhi.
In an interview to The Telegraph today, she indicated willingness to comply with all the conditions set by the government. “I’m willing to stay with security if it could be arranged. I told them (the officials) that I would avoid public places, wouldn’t attend meetings and seminars, just keep in touch with my friends and write from time to time. That’s all I had wanted.
“I know this is not possible in Calcutta right now so I just wanted to know if I could lead a normal life like this in Delhi. If I could have security living in a house where some of my friends would be able to drop in and if I could go meet them sometimes.”
External affairs ministry joint director Amit Dasgupta, whose name figured frequently in Taslima’s conversation with the newspaper, declined comment.
Taslima said the day Dasgupta met her to inform her about the government’s decision regarding her stay in Delhi, she had said she wanted to stay at CR Park. “I told him that if he felt I needed security, let me be given that kind of protection. If there’s a threat to one’s life, one has to live with security like I used to in Calcutta,” Taslima said.
According to her, Dasgupta did not agree to her staying at CR Park or any other place in Delhi. “He said I couldn’t return to Calcutta either. So I asked him how long it would take for me to return to normal life and he said they did not know and could not say anything at this moment.”
The official apparently gave her security concern as the reason. “Amitbabu has not been able to convince me of this need for security where I will have to continue living in hiding. I am under great confusion,” Taslima said.
She iterated her complaint that she was under very tight security and was not allowed to meet anybody. “I can’t go anywhere, no one can meet me.”
External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee denied the suggestion that Taslima was under “house arrest”.
Asked by reporters in Calcutta today about possible restrictions on her return from Delhi, Mukherjee said: “She is not under house arrest.”
The government’s policy, he said, was to make all appropriate arrangements for the safe stay of a guest.
“We have communicated to her that she can stay in the country as long as she wants, which is our rule here,” the foreign minister said.
Those looking after Taslima in Delhi have been asked to set right any problem she might face during her stay.
“At the same time, our guest should not do anything that may hurt the sentiments of any section of the population.”
Taslima, Mukherjee added, had to be put in a secure place because of “trouble over her in some parts of the country, including Calcutta”.
“One must try understand that she had been staying in Calcutta before being shifted. She must think it over why she had to leave Calcutta.”
WITH REPORTS FROM BHAVNA VIJ-AURORA, MOHUA DAS AND MITA MUKHERJEE
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071223/jsp/bengal/story_8700922.jsp
It is simple Game of Demographic Vote Bank Mobilisation
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email: alashbiswaskl@gmail.com">palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
Note: I will be away in Patna since tomorrow upto 29th December to attend National Conference of Bamcef where I have to speak on Dalit Bengali Refugee problems. Friends in Bihar and jharkhand may contact me on mobile number: 9903717833.
Despite the protest of so called Civil society plus the omnipotent, secular,progressive Intelligentsia Kolkata- Ruling Hegemony in bengal, led by Marxist Gestapo Head Capitalist Chief Minister Buddhadeb and the Elite Brhmin from Keernahar may not set the Politics of Demography on the stake, specially just before Panchayat elections. Modi`s landslide victory has eased the way for the ruling Left to mobilise the Muslim Votebank against communal forces. All CPIM topguns are exploding in district level party conferences against communal, antiprogress imperialist forces and singing the melodious song of Unity. The UPA led by Congress has no way but to oblige just after serial blasts in Uttaranchal, Punjab and Gujrat. Results from Himachal have not to be different. Neoliberal trap and strategic Hindu, zionist white realliance under US lead has led to unprecedented resurgence of Hindutva. Modi is not simply a Brand only as Buddhadeb. So identical and so different. Both uses communal trump card. grand alliance of Brahmin ruling Elite and Muslim Vote Bank in West Bengal has got the much needed injection from Modi. Thus, Modi and Buddha, both depend one another for vote bank mobilisation on Minority security trumpcard and majority dominance under majoritarian electoral system. But Hindutva has got the ideological backing from apartheid forces of Hindu,zionist , white post modern Galaxy order.
Menwhile, External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday gave no assurance on whether controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen would be allowed to return to Kolkata. So, it is more than sure that Taslima is not allowed to come Kolkata in near future what if she has opted to withdraw her next novel which was to be released in Kolkata Book Fair. It is in no way any matter related to any book or right to expression neither it has to do anything with communalism or religion. It is a simple demographic mobilisation gimmick, similar to the artificial Riots created with surgical precision for her ouster!
"She is not under house arrest," Mukherjee said when reporters asked him if the Centre had imposed restrictions on Taslima's return to Kolkata. Later, in Burdwan, he said it was the state that would have to decide on her stay in the city.
Mukherjee added that Taslima could stay in the country as long as she liked but the writer should also remember that she should not do anything that would hurt the sentiments of some people in the country.
"The Centre had arranged a safe haven for her stay as Taslima had faced threats in some parts of the country, including Kolkata. Her needs were being looked after," the minister said.
Asked about possible restrictions on her return to Kolkata, Mukherjee said, "Whether she will come to Kolkata or go to Chennai ... She is not under house arrest."
The government's policy was to make all appropriate arrangements for the safe and secure stay of a guest, he said.
State transport minister Subhas Chakraborty, though, remained firm on his earlier stand on Taslima, saying he had no problems in giving Taslima shelter at his house in Salt Lake.
"I remain firm on my earlier stance. If the Centre can provide her visa and security and the state government can maintain law and order, then there is no problem if Taslima expresses her wish of staying at my home," he said.
Husain exhibition resumes in Delhi
An exhibition of works of acclaimed painter M F Husain resumed in the capital on Sunday, defying threats by Hindutva organisations which earlier forced the organisers to close down the display for a day.
The 'India in the Era of Mughals' exhibition reopened at the Arts Gallery of the India International Centre (IIC) at 11 a.m. amid tightened security, IIC officials said.
On display are 20 graphical prints of Husain's paintings which are permanently housed at Fida Museum in London and these works are a tribute to the history of Indian cinema.
This is the first major exhibition of Husain's works in Delhi after a gap of about 20 years.
The IIC and exhibition sponsor Dolly Narang suspended the show for a day on Saturday following threat calls, SMSs and letters on December 20 and 21 from Delhi, Mumbai and Pune from Hindu activists including Bajrang Dal. Hussain's alleged obscene portrayal of Hindu Goddesses had invited the wrath of Sangh Parivar.
However, after a meeting of the IIC Board of Directors and Narang, it was decided to go ahead with the December 17-28 exhibition from today.
The 92-year-old artist, described by Forbes Magazine as the 'Pablo Picasso of India', is currently in self-exile in Dubai after a series of protests against him for his depiction of Hindu Goddesses.
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)
P.O. Box 5493, Santa Clara , CA 95056-5493
Tel: (212) 592-3627, Fax: (212) 202-7683
Email: info@hrcbm.org or Human.Rights@ hrcbmdfw. org
Web: http://www.hrcbm. org or http://www.hrcbmdfw .org
HRCBM PRESS RELEASE
Date: December 22, 2007
A 33-member Executive Committee of the Bangladesh National Chapter of the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM-Bangladesh) was constituted at an assembly held on the premises of Swami Bholanandagiri Ashram Trust at 12 KM Das Lane , Tikatuly, Dhaka recently.
Dr Ajoy K Roy, a retired professor of Dhaka University, and Mr. Rabindranath Trivedi, a former additional secretary of Bangladesh government and and ex- Press Secretary to the President of Bangladesh, were elected unanimously as President and Secretary General of HRCBM-Bangladesh National Chapter (HRCBM-Bangladesh NC), respectively, at the meeting chaired by Professor Ajoy K Roy. The Executive Committee is comprised of retired government officials, university professors, advocates, philanthropists, former ambassador, leaders of Hindu, Baidya (Buddhist), Christian and Adibashi (Indigenous People) communities, journalist, and businessmen.
At first meeting of the Executive Committee on December 10, 2007 at 12 K M Das Lane , Tikatuli, Dhaka-1203, Professor Ajoy Roy, (President, HRCBM-Bangladesh NC ) stressed the need of formation of Bangladesh Chapter of HRCBM tracing the historical development of HRCBM USA in 2001 primarily to protect the rights and uphold the cause of Bangladesh minorities. He emphatically declare that – To-day, the 10th December, is the World Human Rights Day, so we have to say straight to the Government as well to the World community of Nations that we, the Minorities of this part of the world now constituting Bangladesh, have been the victim of persecution, physically, mentally and materially since the division of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947 and exposed to many discriminatory laws and constitutional amendments in which our fundamental rights have been constrained and marginalized. We, on this auspicious day, very sadly remember betrayals of many commitments from political parties & leaders and governments as well.
We resolve on this World Human Rights Day, 2007 that:
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM), is formed with a mission to strengthen our people called minorities who are placed in a disadvantageous position economically, administratively, socially and politically; our mission is to blend human rights advocacy with humanitarian services and sustainable development; so that minorities in Bangladesh may prosper in free and fair atmosphere and may make full contribution towards national development, international peace and cooperation in keeping with the progressive aspirations of the mankind.
We the members of HRCBM, a human rights organization, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, have no other aspiration or interest, political or any sort.
We will continue to oppose all sorts of discrimination and inequity, and selective application of law on the basis of religion, caste creed and sex including 8th amendment of Bangladesh Constitution and Vested Property Act and other statutes that discriminate Bangladesh minorities.
We will oppose unlawful, fraudulent and intentional lease of Debottor Properties, Cremation Sites, Religious Institutions of minorities, grabbing of minority properties and lands with special reference to lands of indigenous people and settlement of non-locals in Chittagong Hill Tracks that directly violates the judgment in the Higher Court of Bangladesh; We will continue to support for materialization of CHT Peace Accord, and uphold principles of equity, natural justice and fundamental human rights.
We extend our congratulation on the Caretaker Government led by Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed that the council of advisers approved the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2007 very recently, a few hours before World Human Rights Day today. The cabinet, at its weekly meeting, approved the ordinance to set up the long-awaited National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which can investigate human rights violations but is empowered to only settle issues or refer them to the court.
However, we noted with dismay and despair that there is no provision for members belonging to various minority groups (religious and ethnic) and women.
We demand, loud and clear, to the government for adequate minority representation (not less than two) in the proposed National Human Rights Commission.
We demand a special chapter dealing with minority human rights issues be included with adequate representation of minority communities with full status of commission members. A similar chapter dealing with rights of women and children also be constituted within the frame of national human rights commission. If this is not done a demand may arise for the constitution of a separate and independent separate Minority Rights Commission (like Justice Sachar Commission in India ). There have been some reports in the daily newspapers that the US House of Representatives has expressed concern over human rights violations in Bangladesh and is said to have requested their country's foreign office to investigate the violations.
We note with concern that the US House of Representatives (according to press reports) has expressed concern over human rights violations in Bangladesh and is said to have requested their country's foreign office to investigate the violations. It is also reported that the representatives have requested the US President to take punitive actions against Bangladesh . We appeal to the government to take stern measures against those who indulge in minority persecution of any sort.
The other office bearers of the newly Elected Executive Council of HRCBM-Bangladesh NC are:
Vice- Presidents: Brig Gen (Retd) Jayanta Kumar Sen, Mr. NG Paul (Retd. Addl. Sec), Mr. P.R. Barua (Retd. DIG, Police), Mr. Chitta Ranjan Sarkar (President, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad), Mr. Satya Ranjan Barai (Retd. Addl. DIG, Police), Prof. P. B. Chakma (Dhaka University), Adv. Subrata Chowdhury (Supreme Court), Mr. Sanjib Drong (Gen. Sec., Adibashi Forum), Bishop Michael Baroi (Bishop Church of Bangladesh) and Mr. S.S. Chakma (Erstwhile Bangladesh Ambassador to Nepal), Chief Coordinator: Mr. B.N. Chowdhury (Trustee, Swami Bholanandagiri Ashram Trust), Treasurer: Mr. Ramesh Chandra Ghosh (Proprietor, M/S. Shymali Paribhahan), Additional Treasurer: Manindra Kumar Nath (Exec. VP, Mercantile Bank), Additional Secretary General: Prof Ashok Taru Saha and Mr. Debashish Nag (Retd. Deputy Sec.), Secretaries: Mr. Dipak Kumar Saha (Retd. Addl. Sec.), Mr. Gopal Chandra Sen (Retd. Divisional Chief, Planning Commission), Shrimati Rakhi (Bhadra) Dasgupta (Director, Dhaka Bank), Mr. Anish Kumar Sarkar (Retd. G.M., Sonali Bank), Mr. Samaresh Boidya (Journalist, HR Activist), Mr. Gobinda Chandra Mondal (Asst. Prof., Dhaka Univ.) and Mr. Ranajit Paul (Jony Enterprise), and
Members: Mr. Shib Shankar Chakraborty (President, WHF-Bangladesh Chapter), Shri Hiralal Bala (Retd. Sec., G.O.B.), Mr. Dipak Ranjan Sengupta (Retd. Sec. G.O.B.), Mr. Shankar Ranjan Saha (HRCBM, Naogaon), Adv. Rana Das Gupta (Acting Sec. Gen. BHBCOP), Adv. Jagadish Sarkar (Judge Court, Dhaka), Mr. Madan Sahu (Asst. Editor, The daily Star), Adv. Titus Hillol Rema (Adv. Supreme Court, Adibashi Christian Leader), and Shrimati Sabitri Bhattacharya (VP, WHF-Bangladesh Chapter).
Dr. Ajit K. Roy, Dhiman Deb Chowdhury,
Secretary General, HRCBM-Central President, HRCBM-Central
Cover Story 8th Day : BANISHED WITHIN & WITHOUT 23 Dec 07 (http://thestatesma n.net/page. news.php? clid=30&theme=&usrsess=1&id=1820590
In an exclusive, Taslima Nasreen recounts her origins, her longing to belong and the will to face opposition to her place in the scheme of things
ALTHOUGH I was not born an Indian, there is very little about my appearance, my tastes, my habits and my traditions to distinguish me from a daughter of the soil. Had I been born some years earlier than I was, I would have been an Indian in every sense of the term. My father was born before Partition; the strange history of this subcontinent made him a citizen of three states, his daughter a national of two. In a village in what was then East Bengal, there once lived a poor farmer by the name of Haradhan Sarkar, one of whose sons, Komol, driven to fury by zamindari oppression, converted to Islam and became Kamal. I belong to this family.
Haradhan Sarkar was my great-grandfather’ s father. Haradhan’s other descendants obviously moved to India either during or after Partition and became citizens of this country. My grandfather, a Muslim, did not. When I was a child, the notion of the once fashionable theory of pan-Islamic had been exploded by East Pakistani Muslims fighting their West Pakistani coreligionists. Our struggle was for Bengali nationalism and secularism.
Even though I was born well after Partition, the notion of undivided India held me in thrall. I wrote a number of poems and stories lamenting the loss of undivided Bengal, indeed undivided India, even before I visited this country. I simply could not bring myself to accept the bit of barbed wire that kept families and friends apart even though they shared a common language and culture. What hurt most was that this wire had been secured by religion.
By my early teens I had forsaken religion and turned towards secular humanism and feminism which sprang from within me and were in no way artificially imposed. My father, a man with a modern scientific outlook, encouraged me to introspect and as I grew older I broke away not just from religion but also from all the traditions and customs, indeed the very culture, which constantly oppressed, suppressed and denigrated women. When I first visited India, specifically West Bengal, in 1989, I did not for an instant think I was in a foreign land. From the moment I set foot on Indian soil, I knew I belonged here and that it was, in some fundamental way, inseparable from the land I called my own.
The reason for this was not my Hindu forebear. The reason was not that one of India’s many cultures is my own or that I speak one of its many languages or that I look Indian. It is because the values and traditions of India are embedded deeply within me. These values and traditions are a manifestation of the history of the subcontinent. I am a victim of that history. Then again, I have been enriched and enlivened by it, if one can call it so. I am a victim of its poverty, colonial legacy, faiths, communalism, violence, bloodshed, partition, migrations, exodus, riots, wars and even theories of nationhood. I have been hardened further by my life and experiences in a dirty, poverty- and famine-stricken, ill-governed theocracy called Bangladesh.
The intolerance, fanaticism and bigotry of Islamic fundamentalists forced me to leave Bangladesh, itself a victim of the subcontinent’ s history. I was forced to go into exile; the doors of my own country slammed shut in my face for good. Since that moment I sought refuge in India. When I was finally allowed entry, not for an instant did I think I was in an alien land. Why did I not think so, especially when every other country in Asia, Europe and America felt alien to me? Even after spending 12 years in Europe I could not think of it as my home. It took less than a year to think of India as my home. Is it because we, India and I, share a common history? Had East Bengal remained a province of undivided India, would the state have tolerated an attack on basic human freedoms and values and the call for the death by hanging of a secular writer by the proponents of fundamentalist Islam and self-seeking politicians? How would a secular democracy have reacted to this threat against one of its own? Or is the burden of defending human and democratic values solely a European or American concern? The gates of India remained firmly shut when I needed its shelter the most. The Europeans welcomed me with open arms. Yet, in Europe I always considered myself a stranger, an outsider. After 12 long years in exile when I arrived in India it felt as though I had been resurrected from some lonely grave. I knew this land, I knew the people, I had grown up somewhere very similar, almost indistinguishable. I felt the need to do something for this land and its people. There was a burning desire within me to see that women become educated and independent, that they stand up for and demand their rights and freedom. I wanted my writing to invigorate and contribute in some way to the empowerment of these women who had always been oppressed and suppressed.
In the meanwhile, a few Islamic fundamentalists in Hyderabad chose to launch a physical attack upon me. The decision to attack me was motivated by the desire to gain popularity among the local masses. “A woman by the name of Taslima Nasrin has launched a vicious attack upon Islam and is all set to destroy the tenets of the faith. Therefore, Islam must be protected from this woman and the only way to do so is to kill her. Her death will bring many rewards: millions as fatwa bounty in this world, salvation and unparalleled delights in the next.” This is the manner in which Islamic fundamentalists in secular India are attempting to entice poor, uneducated, uninformed Muslims while simultaneously looking to solidify their vote bank within the community.
After hearing of the incident in Hyderabad, fundamentalist leaders in West Bengal, where I live, became so excited that they wasted no time in issuing fatwas against me and calling for my head. Students from madrasas who did not even know of my existence joined the fray. They knew of my blasphemy without having read a single one of my books. How did they know? Because their leaders had assured them that I had made it my mission to destroy Islam. Therefore, it was their individual and collective responsibility to protect and preserve their faith. Can one find a more perfect example of brainwashing? While their knowledge of my work may be infinitesimal, their knowledge of Islam is equally so and they have turned their faith into a commodity for their own base ends.
Almost twenty per cent of India’s population is Muslim and, unfortunately, the most vocal representatives of this considerable community are fundamentalists. Educated, civilised, cultured and secular people from the Muslim community are not regarded as representative of the community. What can be a greater tragedy than this?
A greater tragedy, arguably, is that I may have to endure in progressive India, indeed in West Bengal, what I had to endure in Bangladesh. I live practically under house arrest. No public place is allegedly safe for me any longer. Not even the homes of friends are above suspicion, nothing is above suspicion. Even stepping out for a walk is considered unsafe. It is felt that I should spend my days in a poorly lit room grappling with shadows.
Those who threaten to kill me are allowed by the state to spew their venom. They have tacitly been given the right to do whatever they desire, from disturbing the peace with their demonstrations to terrorising the common man in the name of their faith. Those that oppose them and their unholy brand of communalism, those who take a stance against injustice and untruth, are silenced in invidious ways. I am warned both implicitly and explicitly that, for example, a fundamentalists’ demonstration is about to take place and it would be best for all concerned if I quietly left the city. Of course, do return by all means, but only when the situation has calmed down, I am advised. But will the situation ever calm down? For the last 13 years I have been waiting for the situation to calm down.
I was told the same thing when I left Bangladesh to go into exile. I refuse to leave because to leave would be to accept defeat and hand the fundamentalists the victory they have always desired. It would spell defeat for the freedom of expression, independence of thought, democracy and secularism. I simply refuse to allow them this victory. If they are eventually victorious, the loss will be as much mine as India’s. If India gives in to the fundamentalists’ demand to deport me, the list of demands will become an endless one. A deportation today, a ban tomorrow, an execution the day after. Where will it cease? They will pursue their agenda with boundless enthusiasm, knowing that victory is certain. And, of course, the secular state and its secular custodians will bow down to every fundamentalist’ s every whim and fancy. Giving in to their demands is not a solution and any attempt to appease them makes them even more dangerous and pernicious.
Even in my worst nightmares I had not imagined that I would be persecuted in India as I was in Bangladesh. Persecuted by the majority in one and a minority in another, but persecuted just the same. The bigotry, the intolerance, the death threats, the terror: all the same. I often wonder what good it would do them to kill me. The fundamentalists are very well aware that it may bring them some benefit but will do nothing for the cause of Islam. Islam will remain as it has always remained. Neither I nor any other individual has the ability to destabilise Islam. The face of fundamentalism, its language and its intentions are the same the world over: to grab civilisation by the scruff of its neck and drag it back a few millennia, kicking and screaming.
My world is gradually shrinking. I, who once roamed the streets without a care in the world, am now shackled. Always outspoken, I am now silenced, unable to demonstrate, left without the means of protesting for what I hold dear. Film festivals, concerts and plays all continue around me but I cannot participate. I spend my existence surrounded by walls: a prisoner. But I refuse to acknowledge this as my destiny. I still believe that one day I will be able to resume the life I once enjoyed. I still believe that India, unlike Bangladesh, will triumph over fundamentalism. I still believe that I will find shelter and solace here. The love and affection of Indians is my true shelter and solace. I still believe I will be able to spend the rest of my life here, free of cares and worries. I love this country. I treat this land as my own. If I were to be ejected from this country it would amount to the cold-blooded murder of my most cherished ideals, perhaps a fate far worse than I could meet at the hands of any fundamentalist.
I have nowhere to go, no country or home to return to. India is my country, India is my home. How much more will I have to endure at the hands of fundamentalists and their vote-grabbing political allies for the cardinal sin of daring to articulate the truth? If the subcontinent turns its back on me I have nowhere to go, no means to survive. Even after all that has happened, I still believe, I still dream, that for a sincere, honest, secular writer, India is the safest refuge, the only refuge.
No option for Nasrin except ‘live or leave’
By Vikash Ranjan Views:37
New Delhi Comments:0
Dec 22: Fortunate are those residing in India-a democratic country, where freedom of speech and expression is abided by constitution - by birth or not, but later being granted under law as the country’s citizenship. The cultural synthesis of assimilation of people of different castes, creeds and religions of our country gives every people a sense of being “One-India.” But, what does these values meant for those, who are not citizens of our country, but residing here, on the grant of visa by the Indian government, considering as its own home. Do not they have right of freedom of peaceful expression? Do our country not having “double-standard” for them?
Taslima Nasrin, a sensitive author and pioneer of ‘human psychology’ is certainly an unfortunate fellow, who though a victim of this double-standard but not able to understand the hidden truth behind this.
The incident occurred with Nasrin also forced us to think that if any reliable citizen had written with the same viewpoint, s/he would had to go under same trauma or s/he be treated differently.
Religious identity-politics has become the fashion of today’s political battle. Politicians, instead of solving the crushing problems of poverty, inequality and hunger, is using religion as a fodder to feed the masses – a tool they can play with under the control of an influential minority of clergy and the ruling class. But gone are the days when people could not realise the acute irony of the predicament.
Authors are sensitive, they write what they feel. Their accounts are the mirror of the changing social reality and Taslima too has written about the undercurrents and open upheavals in our own society thereby stirred the under earth consciousness of pathetic people. By banning her books the society is trying to undercover the astonishing truth.
Taslima Nasrin has rightly observed in her writings and raised an apt question that how a book can be detrimental to a society which is replete with fake medicines, adulteration, black-marketing and corruption in which societal treatment of women is common.
She rightly asks, “Are books banned because writers belong to a powerless section of the society?”
Any change in the society is reacted aggressively by it. Our society has been patriarchal since ancient times and when Taslima draws the attention of the people towards the pitiable condition of the women through her writings that how women are always seen as the inferior in the society, protector of patriarchal system responds indifferently.
Patriarchy and fundamentalism are complementary to each other, each support to other. Both of them rule via violence, coercion, terror and negate the principle of rational justice to others. Taslima shows an apparent picture of women in such a ghastly scenario, when she writes:
“Women are oppressed in the East, in the West, in the South, in the North. Women are oppressed inside and outside their homes. Whether a woman is a believer or a non-believer, she is oppressed. Beautiful or ugly, oppressed. Crippled or not, rich or poor, literate or illiterate, oppressed. Covered or naked, she is oppressed. Dumb or not, cowardly or courageous, she is always oppressed.”
In a way, Taslima’s writings are sharply political and interestingly controversial, but the issues she raises are important for all sections of the society. Any discussion on Taslima will be incomplete without understanding her political vision. She interrogates the nation and the patriarchal society from the perspective of a modern paradigm of an Enlightenment-led rationality.
Like any other sensible person she also feels perturbed when her nation is pushed towards a rightward polity which believes in blind faith and enforces patriarchy upon the womenfolk.
Under these hullabaloo circumstances Taslima Nasrin who has been in hiding at a government safe house for over a month has decided to put her next novel on hold. She said that she was under complete stress and not able to concentrate and thus asked her publishers to cancel the publication of the sixth part of her autobiography. Earlier she had asked her publishers to delete the objectionable portion of her novel Dwikhadita.
The incidents certainly are not good from the writer’s perspective. Who is responsible for her taking such a hard decision should think again and support her with providing supportive and intrepid environment apt for writing. Most of all writers’ freedom of expression should not be violated government should make sure of that.
CPM smells a smear campaign on Nandigram
Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI, Dec. 22: The CPI-M today said “a section of the media and anti-communist political forces” were conducting a “smear campaign” against the party by raking up murder, rape and arson in Nandigram to defame it. A statement issued by the party at the end of its three-day Central Committee meet reads: “An illustration of this smear campaign is the spate of media reports attributed to the CBI about the incidents on 14 March. What is being cited is not the CBI’s conclusion after investigations, but the complaints lodged, and the deposition of persons in this connection”.
The statement read that the CBI was yet to submit its report to the High Court on Nandigram, and had asked for two months time to finish the job. The party said “vested interests” were targeting it since it was in the forefront of opposition to a strategic alliance with the USA and firmly against “neo-liberal policies which harm the interests of the working people”. The Central Committee called upon all its party units to firmly counter this “vilification campaign”.
Reviewing Nandigram developments, the Central Committee noted: “With the return of people from all sides to their homes, normalcy is returning to the block which was under the occupation of the forces behind the so-called Bhoomi Uched Prathirodh Samiti for 11 months. The state administration is taking steps to provide relief and rehabilitation. Mini kits are being provided to the farmers for the upcoming Rabi season.
“It is unfortunate that the remains of five persons killed have been dug up to concoct charges against the CPI-M. The fact is that all the five persons whose names have been given, are actually supporters of the party who died in a bomb blast in a refugee camp in October. Cases were lodged with police on the deaths, postmortems of the bodies conducted and then they were cremated. Such instances are being twisted to malign the party,” the Central Committee said.
Nuke deal
Answering questions on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Politburo member Mr Sitaram Yechury told reporters that the Gujarat Assembly poll outcome would have no impact on the CPI-M’s stand on the deal and that the party would continue to oppose it. He said: “Our position is clear. We think the deal has many clauses that are not in the interest of the country.” During the last UPA-Left Committee meeting, the party had told the government that it could have talks with the IAEA for the safeguards agreement but it must get back to the committee. “On the basis of the government’s briefing at the committee meeting, we will decide our view,” Mr Yechury said.
Another Politburo member, Mr MK Pandhe, told reporters that whatever might be the outcome of the government’s talks with the IAEA, the party would not allow operationalisation of the nuclear deal. Asked about the Central Committee review of the UPA government’s performance, Mr Yechury said the assessment would come out in the draft political resolution being finalised by the party for its 19th congress in March-end. Till the resolution was ready, after incorporating the changes suggested by the Central Committee, he could not say much on the issue.
CBI records statement of Nandigram rape victim
KOLKATA, Dec. 22: Central Bureau of Investigation officials today spoke to a woman who was allegedly raped on 14 March when policemen fired at villagers in Nandigram. A CBI official said that the rape victim, a resident of Gokulnagar, narrated her ordeal to the sleuths and gave them a statement.
In another development, for the first time since January this year, BUPC members held a rally at Khejuri, a CPI-M stronghold, today in protest against the terror unleashed by CPI-M cadres in Nandigram. More than 1,500 people took part in the rally. The BUPC members later took out a procession from Khejuri Battola. Mr Anup Agarwal, district magistrate, Midnapore (East), held a meeting with SDO (Haldia) and BDOs of Nandigram I& II today. They discussed the progress of development projects undertaken in the violence-hit villages last month. Central Reserve Police Force jawans today patrolled several villages in Nandigram where no untoward incidents occurred today. SNS
Kolkata rallies for Taslima Nasreen
22 Dec 2007, 2003 hrs IST,PTI
KOLKATA: Leading intellectuals on Saturday walked in a silent procession here demanding government grant Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen Indian citizenship and allow her to live in a place of her choice.
Starting from Academy of Fine Arts, the processionists, led by Magsaysay-winning writer and social worker Mahasweta Devi, walked for about two kilometre along the downtown Chowringhee Road before congregating at the Esplanade.
Others who participated in the procession included theatre personalities Bibhas Chakraborty, Shaonli Mitra and Kaushik Sen and painter Shuvaprasanna, besides a number of human rights activists.
Accusing the Centre of towing CPM's line by keeping Taslima out of Kolkata, Mahasweta Devi said "without CPM, Congress will cease to exist. Therefore, it has to support the CPM blindly."
Following violent protests in the city by a little known Muslim group which demanded her deportation from the country, Taslima was whisked out of the city last month to Rajasthan and from there to an undisclosed location in Delhi
http://broadband.indiatimes.com/videoshow/2643428.cms
I will keep on writing, says Taslima
22 Dec 2007, 0105 hrs IST,Debashis Konar,TNN
KOLKATA: Hounded out of Kolkata and put under "house arrest" in an undisclosed location somewhere in or near Delhi, Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen is doing what she does best: Writing fiercely critical passages.
"It's difficult given the situation I am in. But I won't rest. I have faced fundamentalist wrath for being critical. I am writing critical essays despite this," Taslima told TOI on phone.
The day she was told by the Centre that she couldn't return to Kolkata, Taslima showed her defiance by telling the media of her love for the city, and how she craves returning to it — a place she considers as her home. "I should be allowed to stay where I feel comfortable. I don't know why I am being denied entry to Kolkata," the writer said. The author, who had plans to write the sixth volume of her autobiography, hasn't been able to write a word as "she is under tremendous pressure", said Shibani Mukherjee, one of her publishers. "We cannot force her to write," said Mukherjee.
Even though Taslima is now busy penning a new book, she isn't sure whether it can be released during the Kolkata Book Fair in January. "I don't write with the book fair in mind. If it's completed within the next few weeks, it can be released," Taslima said. She mentioned that a week ago her book, 'Tui Katha Kois Na' (Don't Talk), a compilation of essays, was released. "I am now concentrating on essays."
That she was nostalgic about Kolkata was evident when Taslima spoke about the book fair, scheduled to be held at Park Circus maidan. "I can't imagine such a large book fair taking place on that small ground. The charm of Kolkata Book Fair at the Maidan is going to be missing at Park Circus."
"I am getting everything from the government — even my favourite macher jhol. But I want to be with my friends and enjoy addas with them, which I am really missing. I can't bear this isolation, she said."
Sharmila Sengupta, another publisher of the author, said that they have plans to publish a collection of her poems during the book fair. Sengupta said if Taslima had been in the city, it would have been much easier to edit and publish the book. "Taslima's cat Minu is with me. So she is very tense and enquires every day about Minu's health," said Sengupta.
Taslima can return to Kolkata: Pranab
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Dec. 22: The controversial Bangladeshi writer, Ms Taslima Nasreen, is free to return to the city, she considers to be her second home, and she is "not under house arrest," external affairs minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee today said at a function in the city. Mr Mukherjee said that the writer should not indulge in activity that might hurt the sentiments of a section of the population of her host country.
"She is our guest and we never close our doors to a guest. But at the same time, she should not do anything which hurts the sentiments of the people,” said Mr Mukherjee after attending a function at Calcutta University.
Earlier Ms Nasreen had alleged that a senior external affairs official had told her that she could never return to Kolkata and she must stay put in Delhi if she chose to stay in India.
The author told PTI that she might write about her experience of the past one month and hoped that her visa, which will expire on February 17, would be extended.
Congress view
SNS adds from DelhI: On Ms Nasreen’s complaint about the Centre’s message to her not to return to her adopted city of Kolkata, the AICC media department chairman, Mr Veerappa Moily, took a swipe at the CPI-M-led Left Front government of West Bengal, saying “The West Bengal government will have to provide security to Ms Nasreen to ensure her shift there, but it does not want her as indicated by her statements, and the Centre, under such circumstances, could not impose her on the state.”
NDTV.com Centre issues ultimatum to Taslima
NDTV.com, India - 20 Dec 2007
Sources have claimed that controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has received an ultimatum from the Central government. ...
Bangladesh author 'lonely' after hiding out in India
英文中國郵報, Taiwan - 15 hours ago
KOLKATA -- Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, in hiding in India since protests against her by a hardline Islamic group last month, ...
Govt tells Taslima to show restraint
Economic Times, India - 28 Nov 2007
... partner the Left parties and faced with increasing criticism from the Opposition, the government attempted a balancing act on the Taslima Nasrin issue. ...
Book Review: Shame by Taslima Nasrin
Gather.com, MA - 6 Dec 2007
Taslima Nasrin has provided many factual accounts of desecration and destruction of Hindu temples and atrocities against the Hindu minority in her book. ...
Centre issues ultimatum to Taslima Nasreen
Times of India, India - 20 Dec 2007
NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry on Thursday asked controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen to stay under the government security or to leave the ...
Searching for Taslima
Asia Sentinel, China - 16 Dec 2007
Now let’s see if there’s any gum left to stretch and stick to Taslima Nasrin, the offending writer. When I ask `B’ and his comrades about Taslima they shrug ...
Asian Tribune Taslima Nasreen: The Daughter of Eternal Bangladesh on the run in ...
Asian Tribune, Thailand - 26 Nov 2007
Taslima Nasreen That a woman, a foreign guest, can be assaulted before an assembly of media persons and television cameras makes the event even more ...
Maulana Ajmal demands extradition of Taslima Nasrin
Indian Muslims, CA - 29 Nov 2007
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter President of Assam United Democratic Front, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal demanded extradition of Taslima Nasrin in a letter ...
