Taslima Nasrin Returns To Kolkata After Nearly Two Decades

KOLKATA-Renowned Bangladeshi author and poet Taslima Nasrin returned to Kolkata on July 31, nearly 19 years after her departure following the outbreak of violence in parts of the city in 2007 during the tenure of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in West Bengal, which was triggered by her book ‘Dwikhandito (The Bifurcated)’.

She received a grand welcome with the sound of conch shells. “I feel so good to come here again,” said a visibly overwhelmed Nasrin.

Considering that Nasrin’s safety and security remain a concern, the state police administration has assured security during her stay in West Bengal.

In 2007, parts of Kolkata turned into virtual battlefields over the publication of Nasrin’s novel ‘Dwikhandito (The Bifurcated)’. Tensions erupted in minority-dominated areas of the city, and the situation became so tense that the administration had to deploy the army.

The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led Left Front government also banned the circulation of the book in the state, and Nasrin was asked to leave Kolkata.

Later, this unwritten ban on Nasrin remained in force even during the Trinamool Congress government from 2011 to 2016.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front government faced strong criticism from literary circles across the country, which questioned why a Communist state government that claimed to uphold secularism had succumbed to pressure from fundamentalist groups. Later, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not take any initiative to ensure Nasrin’s return to Kolkata. (IANS)