Gagged??

Watching what happened with Taslima Nasreen yesterday has prompted me to write this post. For those who did not see and read about it, Taslima was attacked in Hyderabad by some ‘Muslim’ protestors during the release of her new book 'Shodh'.

In one of her interviews sometime back I had read that she has put an adage in the form of a magnetic sticker on her refrigerator which says ‘Beware of Dogmas’.

But all these systems of belief have fought with her and are still fighting with her spirit, always trying to glorify violence in the name of religion.

It has always been believed that fundamentalists cannot quash her fortitude. Governments cannot canon her mind. Controversies and hullabaloo court her as much as fatwas. And secularism holds a varied connotation for her. Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, has always been a rebel without a pause. But yesterday one could see fear her eyes. “I was quite sure of dying today.” She said. (I am not quoting any newspaper, she said that in an after interview with NDTV)

I have not read much of her except for her book called ‘Lajja’. Reading that book was actually for the satisfaction of curiosity, always wanting to know as to what is it that has always provoked the fundamentalists.

The novel takes you into a world where nothing is right and things like rape and forced prostitution are so very prominent. As the fire of communal riots erupts every member of a Hindu (Dutta) family feels it there way.

Taslima has tried to bring out the chronological order of the events that led to the situation that prevailed at that time i.e., the riots in Bangladesh after the demolition of Babri Majid. Taslima felt disgraceful that the Hindus in her country were actually hunted by the Muslims. Her belief that all the Bangladeshis should actually feel ashamed about the country and motherland they love did raise many eyebrows but this is one lady, rock solid to the core, who actually stood against her motherland challenging her in the face that it’s wrong.

Well Taslima Nasrin is not the only writer who has suffered. Salman Rushdie has been putting up with all the protests against him for ‘The Satnic Verses’ and ‘Midnight’s Children’. M.F. Hussain has already been shunned already

Proceedings like these have confirmed that terms like artistic expression and artistic liberty are futile. Even our constitution guarantees freedom of expression, why should itbe throttled by whims and fancies of a few? One organisation tells him that his Durga is not painted right, other tells him his qawwali hurts their sentiments. How far wouldartists give in to the demands of fundamentalists from any religion?

Everybody in this world cannot conform to everybody’s idea. What is required is respect for each other’s ideas and concepts. In a nation where cultural controversies are so common the government should not give in to certain eccentric elements who stand up to voice against anything that does not conform to their idea.

And we the people of this nation and this world need to value creative freedom.

Suanshu Khurana