Hussein, Taslima and the fanatic forces!

Dear Pouring Rain,

I'm back on the keyboard. I couldn't write you a letter yesterday, dueto lack of time. These days are quite hectic, as the political scenario of the state is changing in a peculiar way. And in this situation we keep always looking for exclusive, breaking news and views. When I came back to Kolkata in the month of February this year,I was thinking that it would be better to work here, as there won't bea pressure, but it was not like that. From Singur to Nandigram, everywhere there's a political crisis and we people need to move. Anyway... it's my duty to run to and fro, meeting people, collecting news and writing reports.

In the mean time, two news are in the air. Painter Maqbool Fida Hussein and writer Taslima Nasreen are coming back to India by the first week of September. Bangladeshi writer Taslima is not only being back; but also theManmohan Singh government is allowing her to stay in Kolkata. Atthe same time it's said, M F Hussein will land, anytime by next month.

Taslima Nasreen is an exiled writer from her own country, Bangladesh. In addition, she was expelled by Marxist leadership from her adopted home Kolkata, after Muslim protests in November last year, the writer has been forced into another exile in Europe. I remember people saying, the West Bengal government wanted to remove her forcibly, from the state, when some Islamist groups resorted toviolence against her writings. Obliging the state, the central government hurriedly took Taslima out of Kolkata and she was virtually under house arrest in New Delhi. Although, Nasreen pleaded with the Centre to allow her to go back to Kolkata, her 'second home', she was refused permission as the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government and the Left were uneasy about welcoming her back. It's now the climax of the story, but one question is unanswered, why's she punished like this? Is't so, as she is critic of a particular religion, God? Is it votebank politics? We can guess only, we don't have appropriate reply.

Dear Pouring Rain, still there is a question mark. Going down the memory lane, I remember, I wanted a version of eminent writer Mahashweta Devi over phone, regarding Taslima's exile. She was furious, telling me, whyshould Taslima Nasreen or anyone else have to apologize forcriticizing someone's god? So long as India has a secular government, and is governed by laws — specifically, secular laws — rather than mobs of religious thugs, then people like Nasreen should be more than welcome to stay. Mahashweta blamed the Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya for the whole episode. She was clear on her view; the Government is willing to sooth Nandigram, in the name of Taslima.

Well, dear Pouring Rain, I'm coming to the point, If India were a theocracy, where it were against the law to criticize religion and religious beliefs, then there would be a case for prosecuting Taslima Nasreen. It would still be immoral, but at least it would be formally legal. As it is, Taslima Nasreen hasn't done anything illegal in India. No one should have to fear that threats of faith-based violence from religious mobs will cause theocratic standards to be imposed retroactively on what they have already done. No one should be killed, threatened, or deported simply because they have hurt another's feelings — whether it's in the context of religion, politics, philosophy, sports or anything else.

Dear friend, M F Hussein's case is the same. Hussein, India's best-known artist is returning home from the exile, he was forced into by people protesting his offensive depiction of Hindu goddesses. Now a day, he's working on a new series of paintings, Indian civilization. The Indian angle to the European cartoon controversy had its resonanceon a similar offense committed by ninety-year-old noted painter M F Hussein who portrayed the Hindu goddess of knowledge Saraswati in nude. The right wing Hindu organizations took up the issue criticizing the Muslims that while they protest the outrageous cartoons, nonecondemn the painter who shelter under the cloak of freedom ofexpression. The Indian liberals accuse Muslims of not daring to stand up to the extremists within their community. Seldom Muslim voices are heard when their community resort to extremism, whereas the liberal Hindus voices are heard loudest in condemnation of such acts by the Hindu extremism. It points that Muslims silence paints the negative image of the community and the Hindu zealots cash on these sentiments. It feels that, if the liberal Muslim voices remain silent, Hindu liberals may take up positions on the Muslims issues.

I remember, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave public statement expressing "deep concern" over the publication of the offensive cartoons. He said; "The Government of India is deeply concerned aboutthe growing controversy over the publication of cartoons on Prophet Mohammad that offend the Muslim community worldwide and any suchattempt that hurt the religious sentiments of the people should beavoided."

My dear friend, we are passing through a very difficult phase. It's a clash of civilization. We are swinging between what to do and what not to do. I should stop now, before I could write a book.

I'm waiting for your reply.

Regards!

The Desert!