Amid reports of complete polarisation of Bengal politics ahead of next year’s Assembly Elections, the BJP has once again appealed for repatriating Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin to Kolkata from where she was allegedly banished 18-19 years ago by the then Left Front government in a reported move to pacify a restive Muslim community that was demanding her ouster from the City of Joy. In a “calculated move”, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya on Monday raised the issue of her “safe return” to Kolkata where she would be able to freely think, talk and write in Bengali, her mother language. Nasrin had to leave her motherland Bangladesh following an agitation from the religious fundamentalists who condemned her book ‘Lajja’ (shame) that criticised the violence, rape, looting, and killings of Bengali Hindus that took place in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in December 1992.
As the situation went from bad to worse post release of her book and as a dogmatic Bangladesh government refused to stand by her Nasrin was forced to flee her country and take shelter in Kolkata.
Bringing up the matter during Zero Hour Bhattacharya questioned the efficacy of celebrating the Women’s Day without addressing the emotional claims of the “celebrated writer” who could not return to Kolkata for security reasons.
The BJP MP recounted how the situation that unfolded in Bangladesh post release of her book Lajja compelling Nasrin to come to Kolkata but where she could not find an asylum thanks to a restive section of the minorities who were “orchestrated” by a Congress MP who later joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
“Sir, this is India. We give refuge to whoever requires safety across the world. This has been our tradition for ages. This is the culture of this country,” Bhattacharya said referring to the situation that unfolded in 2004 consequent to her coming to Kolkata. “The situation compelled her to leave Bangladesh in 2004. She found shelter in Kolkata, but there after, an unfortunate incident occurred, orchestrated by a then Congress leader. I am thankful to the Congress leadership for expelling that person. But what is unfortunate is that after his expulsion, the TMC accepted him and sent him to Parliament,” he said.
Attacking the Left-progressive forces too he wondered how the Marxists had surrendered before the Muslim fundamentalists in the name of pseudo
secularism. “Kolkata is the city of life for Taslima. She wants to come back to Kolkata, to speak in Bengali, to write poetry in Bengali, and to create literature in Bengali,” but she was unable to return to the City of Joy, where she could feel at home considering the language spoken in the two sides of the border are same, Bhattacharya reminded appealing for her safe return to Bengal Capital.
Even as the ‘Lajja’ writer thanked the BJP leader for “remembering” her she wrote that she was “eager to return to Kolkata the city which I had to quit unfortunately, but I wonder whether I will be able to return there.” Meanwhile, the TMC and the Congress questioned Bhattacharya’s timing of raising the issue.
“Why did not they raise the issue earlier. Why would not they arrange for her return to Kolkata then. Why are they raising the issue now when the election is a year away and when the BJP and TMC are creating a communal smoke in the political atmosphere,” Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury said.
