Why exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen is returning to Kolkata
What's the story
Bangladesh-born author Taslima Nasreen will return to Kolkata on August 1 after nearly two decades. She was forced to leave the city in November 2007 following violent protests against her book Dwikhondito. The upcoming event at Rabindra Sadan auditorium is being organized by Secular Mission, Paschimbonger Jonno (for West Bengal), and Human Rights Beyond Frontiers.
Event specifics
Nasreen's event will feature recitals of her poems, songs
"She will speak about her years in exile, recount the circumstances under which she had to leave Kolkata, and read her poems," Osman Mallick of Secular Mission was quoted as saying by IE.
Mullick added, "She...was driven away from here because of protests by fundamentalists...We tried to organize her visit during the previous government, but were unsuccessful."
He said after the new BJP government formation, they approached CM Suvendu Adhikari, who assured them that proper security arrangements would be made.
Literary impact
What are Nasreen's writings about?
Nasreen has written over 40 books in Bangla, including poetry, novels, essays, and a multi-volume autobiography.
Her works have been translated into more than 30 languages.
She focuses on women's rights, gender equality, challenging patriarchal norms, and exposing domestic violence in her writing.
Her best-known novel Lajja (Shame) was published in 1993 and chronicles the persecution of a fictitious Hindu family in Bangladesh after the Babri Masjid demolition.
Exile journey
Why did Nasreen leave India in 2007?
After her book Lajja, Nasreen faced threats and protests in Bangladesh. She left the country in 1994 and lived in exile across Europe and North America before Sweden granted her citizenship.
In 2004, she got a temporary residence permit from India and moved to Kolkata.
While the controversial pages were retracted in 2007, that November tensions spilled over onto the roads as demonstrations organized by the All India Minority Forum resulted in roadblocks, with incidents of arson reported in Kolkata.
Delhi
Nasreen now resides in Delhi
The then Left Front government led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee urged Nasreen to leave due to political pressure and concerns that the issue might spiral out of hand if she stayed in the city.
Nasreen relocated to New Delhi and then departed the country in March 2008, staying away for at least two years. Nasreen now resides in Delhi on a long-term residence permit.
Politics
'Why should the voice of Taslima Nasreen be suppressed'
The Trinamool Congress, which replaced the Left Front administration, avoided the matter despite recurrent calls from members of civil society, but the BJP has attempted to depict her as a symbol of defiance.
"Why should the voice of Taslima Nasreen be suppressed? She wrote Lajja on the atrocities faced by a Hindu family in Bangladesh, but the previous Left government banned her work. We welcome her visit to Kolkata," state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said.