The pulling down of a Lenin statue in Tripura reminded writer Taslima Nasreen of the Islamic State (IS) razing historical monuments in Iraq and Syria and the destruction of a statue of the iconic Sufi singer Lalon by Muslim fundamentalists in Bangladesh, the country of her origin.
“Hindu fundamentalists hate Muslim fundamentalists. But really follow the latter’s acts. So, what’s the difference between the two?” she asked during an interaction with The Hindu on the sidelines of the Krithi International Festival of Books and Authors here on Wednesday. The day witnessed the release of the 20th edition of the Malayalam translation of her book, Lajja, which faced the wrath of Muslim fundamentalists and forced her into a life in exile in India ever since.
World without frontiers
A staunch believer in a world without frontiers, Ms. Nasreen thinks “nationalism is a very alarming thing”. “I don’t believe in national boundaries. [It has come to suggest] a hate towards neighbours. You can love your country, but you don’t have to be a nationalist. I love my country and I love this world, but I’m not a nationalist. In Europe, nationalism is not respected. Hitler was a nationalist. What did he do? He tried to destroy the world. If some fanatics and misogynists are in your country, do you have to love them just because they are your compatriots? We should try to create a global society where people from different languages, castes, religions are all equal. That should be the goal.”
But she would want to return to Bangladesh, not because it was where she was born and brought up. But because she believes in freedom of movement. “Why should I be prevented from entering a country? If it were Ethiopia or Germany that prevented me from going there, I would still feel the same. Freedom of movement is a basic human right. I would probably never go to Bangladesh, because it is too dangerous, but I want to get my right [to go there].”
‘Pseudo-secularists’
Meanwhile, she would have no truck with ‘pseudo-secularists’ either. She accuses Indian secularists of turning a blind eye to minority fanaticism. The Left, which should have supported freedom of expression, sought to appease religious fanatics [by banning her work Dwikhandita in 2004]. “They threw me out of the State. They [Communist government in West Bengal] had 34 years to create an equal society, but they failed to bridge the gap between classes. Women’s oppression was still there,” she said.
The book Lajja has so far been translated into 30 languages.
“It is a documentary novel. Many people think it is a novel and many others think it’s full of facts. My intention was to chronicle what happened to the minority communities in Bangladesh from 1947 till 1992. There’s no record of this available otherwise. I collected details of all incidents and put it in one book. But sadly, the situation remains unchanged.”
There was an exodus of Hindus from Bangladesh during 2001 when some political parties who were sure to be voted against by the Hindus attacked them. And because of continued Islamisation, Hindus and Christians became second class citizens. “Maybe, after 50 or 100 years, there will be no Hindu left in Bangladesh. Lajja was my protest against this. Because of the book, many people in the world now know what’s happening in Bangladesh.”
Feminism
With no political affiliation, she speaks on the merit of issues. “I can’t shut my mouth, but I know I can be kicked out.” Talking about women’s rights has become fashionable of late. “Even misogynists talk of women’s rights to show they are progressive. Feminism has acquired a negative connotation in this part of the world thanks to the negative image ascribed to feminists. That’s why some women say they are not feminists. Actually, it is a notion that women are human beings. If you acknowledge that you are a feminist.”
