After nearly two decades away,Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin will return to Kolkata on August 1. She'll be part of an anti-fundamentalism literary event at Rabindra Sadan. Her return comes after big political shifts in West Bengal,with BJP now in power.
Nasrin left Kolkata in November 2007 after her writings sparked violent protests, especially her book Dwikhandita. Protests got so intense the Army was called to restore order. The Left Front government,led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee,asked her to leave,citing safety amid communal tensions.
Secular and anti-fundamentalist groups are organizing event. It's a big moment for freedom of expression in India. Mohit Roy,event convenor,said it's about honoring Nasrin's return after 20 years,declaring,"This is a new Bengal,and we have decided to honour her." Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will attend, adding political weight.
For BJP,Nasrin's return marks a departure from past administrations' perceived failures on religious fundamentalism. A senior BJP leader slammed the previous Left Front and Trinamool Congress (TMC) governments for not backing Nasrin's return for literary events .
In recent times, Nasrin's return has drawn more attention. Last year, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya pushed the central government to help her return,calling her a crucial voice against Islamist extremism. The TMC government didn't engage,frustrating Nasrin, who felt like a political pawn.
Nasrin's career kicked off in the early '90s,earning global fame for her feminist writing and critiques of religious orthodoxy. Her novel Lajja, about Hindu persecution in Bangladesh, led to fatwas against her,forcing her to leave Bangladesh in 1994. She lived in exile across Europe and the US before settling in Kolkata in 2004 .
In Kolkata, she found a cultural sanctuary. But that bond broke in 2007, sparking debates on artistic freedom in West Bengal. Critics said the Left caved to fundamentalist pressure,while Left said it was about maintaining order.
With political winds changing,BJP positions Nasrin as a symbol against religious extremism and critiques previous governments' liberal failures. The August 1 event celebrates her anti-fundamentalism battle and free expression.
Whether the event sticks to literature or becomes broader political statement depends on the context of her return. As Kolkata gears up to welcome Taslima Nasrin,the event reflects shifting politics and the ongoing fight for freedom of expression in India.
