RSS FeedsAsylum to Taslima Nasreen?
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20 Sep
2005 |
Why Taslima Nasreen shouldn’t be granted political asylum in India? On what ground her plea should be rejected?
There have been many responses to her question at her blog in the comments section. Since I didn’t want to post a big comment there, I’m posting my thoughts here as a blog entry.
I don’t know much about Taslima Nasreen. I only know that she wrote Lajja and got into trouble with the religious zealots of her country. Some have asked why in the first place she has asked India for asylum and not some other country? The question is not why she has asked India for political asylum, the question is, given that she has asked, should she be granted one?
Objectively, no, principally, yes. No, because as it has already been mentioned, we have plenty of our own problems (but then what country doesn’t have problems?). It could be that she creates trouble in her own country, flees from there, asks for asylum, it is granted, and she lands up with a sack full of problems such as fidayeen attacks on her as well as on us. Hornets’ nests and jehadis should better be left untouched.
Yes, because, if she is a good writer, then she adds to our intellectual wealth. Why should the west get all good writers? And after all, Bangladesh was once a part of our country so the language and culture is not totally alien. She could as well have been a Bangla writer.
Another thing, it’s high time we came out of our mentality of “it’s not bad unless it hits us” and acted proactively. Are we such a weak nation that we cannot provide security to a writer who is fighting for her freedom of expression? It is true, as Shirin Ebadi mentioned in an interview, one should fight from within the home turf, but then, sometimes the individual is the flag-bearer of the fight and hence needs to be protected to facilitate the unhindered progression of the fight. If Taslima Nasreen is a crusader against the despotic mullahs of her country, then she deserves full support from all quarters. Our government should rise above petty politics of minority appeasement and grant her the required asylum of nothing else, then just to drive home a point.
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I agree.
won’t get into the actual issue. but just a small correction. taslima nasreen IS a bangla writer. all her books are originally written in bangla and then translated (i don’t know if by herself, never tried to read a translation). even ‘lajja’. and if she’s given asylum, she’ll in all probabilites consider living in calcutta since this is where she has the largest ‘original-language’ reader base.
all the best, mandy
I fully agree with the statement you made, rather I should put it in quotes ” If Taslima Nasreen is a crusader against the despotic mullahs of her country, then she deserves full support from all quarters. Our government should rise above petty politics of minority appeasement and grant her the required asylum of nothing else, then just to drive home a point.”
But I would like to clarify one point. Taslima is more famous for her comments and controversial statements, which she is providing for the last 20 years, than her literary contributions.There are few authors like Late Akhtarujaman Ilius and Hasan Azizul Hawk from the other side of Bengal whose works are pure work of genius and available in India. So, by giving asylum to Taslima we will be enriching our intellectual wealth is nothing but a false notion. I feel, India should only give her shelter just because she has thrown light on some areas of our daily life, which others won’t dare to.