Taslima Nasrin to visit Kolkata after 19 years for anti-fundamentalism event
Nearly two decades after being forced to leave Kolkata amid violent protests, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to the city on August 1 for an anti-fundamentalism literary event. The visit marks a politically symbolic moment for the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal, which has framed it as a reversal of what it calls a long-standing capitulation to religious extremism.
Ms. Nasrin announced on social media that she would attend the event at Rabindra Sadan, where she is expected to recite poetry. The programme is organised by a coalition of secular and anti-fundamentalist groups.
“It will basically be an event to celebrate her coming to the city after 20 years. She was forced to leave Kolkata on November 21, 2007, after the then Left Front government bowed before fundamentalist forces. This is a new Bengal, and we have decided to honour her. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari himself will be present at the event,” Mohit Roy, a convenor of organiser Paschimbangar Jonno, told PTI.
When asked if the event is a precursor to her permanent return, Mr. Roy said no such discussions have taken place.
Ms. Nasrin rose to international prominence in the early 1990s for her feminist writings and critiques of religious orthodoxy. She fled Bangladesh in 1994 after fatwas called for her death following the publication of her novel 'Lajja', which chronicled the persecution of Hindus in post-Babri Bangladesh. After years in Europe and the United States, she moved to India in 2004 and settled in Kolkata.
Her departure from the city in 2007 followed the publication of parts of her autobiography 'Dwikhandita', which triggered protests by Muslim organisations. The Left Front government, led by then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, asked her to leave, citing threats to public order. She was moved to Jaipur and later to Delhi, where she was granted a long-term resident permit.
The BJP has criticised previous governments for what it calls a failure to uphold free speech. “Successive Left Front and TMC governments chose political expediency over free speech by refusing to facilitate her return, despite her repeated appeals,” a senior state BJP leader said.
Last year, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya urged the Centre to facilitate Ms. Nasrin’s return. At the time, Ms. Nasrin expressed frustration, telling PTI, “I don't want to get kicked around anymore. Instead, it would please me if the governments allow me to travel to Kolkata to attend literature festivals and book fairs.”
The event now takes place against an altered political backdrop, with the BJP in power in West Bengal. The visit is expected to reignite debates over freedom of expression, secularism, and the state’s relationship with religious sensitivities.
