Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is no stranger to controversies, threats to her life, and wading into newsrooms for the wrong reasons. This time, the stir is over her decision to attend a meeting against fundamentalism at Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata, the city she had to leave following violent protests over her views on some of the archaic, fundamentalist social customs in Islam.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is expected to attend the 1 August event, which is reportedly being jointly organised by three organisations — Secular Mission, Paschim Banger Pokkhe, and the Human Rights Bangla Book Fair Forum (HRBFF). Calcutta High Court lawyer Osman Mullick, a senior office-bearer of Secular Mission, has stated that Taslima Nasrin is finally coming to Kolkata, “defeating all reactionary forces”.Though the event is being organised by non-government organisations, Adhikari’s likely attendance, possibly accompanied by some of his cabinet colleagues, sends several signals within the state and beyond, especially to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Through his presence, the Chief Minister will reiterate his party’s commitment to opposing fundamentalism in all its forms. Several Left Front and Trinamool Congress leaders were opposed to Taslima Nasrin. However, during the violent protests against her in 2007, Suvendu Adhikari was himself leading the agitation against the then Left Front government’s plan to acquire 10,000 acres of land in Nandigram for a Special Economic Zone.It’s worth noting that Taslima Nasrin’s critiques have not been limited to her own community. Though her writings have focused particularly on socially obscurantist customs among Muslims, as a staunch secular humanist and feminist she has consistently written and spoken against fundamentalism, patriarchy, and obscurantism across all religions. She has also been a vocal critic of Hindu social ills and religious intolerance.It will be interesting to see how predominantly Hindu voters view her return, given her criticism of what she has described as “patriarchal festivals” such as Bhai Dooj and Jamai Shasthi. Such criticism has drawn significant ire and has been viewed by many as an unwarranted overreach, especially given her religious background.Nevertheless, the event will accord the BJP in West Bengal a chance to showcase its “secular” stance that Hindu unity is not directed against Indian Muslims, but that the party is opposed to infiltrators from Bangladesh.
