Renowned Bangladeshi writer and human rights activist Taslima Nasreen is returning to Kolkata after almost 19 years in a city she had once known as her hometown, in what she says is an emotional homecoming of her own. The celebrated Bangladeshi writer, who was forced to leave Kolkata in 2007 due to protests from the public over her book Dwikhandito, will be present for a literary event on August 1 at Rabindra Sadan.
Taslima received a warm welcome when she arrived in a white saree with a red border, wearing a bindi and greeting supporters with a warm smile. In the last few years, there has been much interest in her return among literary circles and admirers who have followed her journey over the years.
Taslima describes her return as an emotional experience, filled with both happiness and sorrow
“I have returned both with joy and with pain. Kolkata is not just a city for me but my home, where my friends and memories live. Nineteen years of my life were taken away from me, and no one can bring those lost years back. But so far I have not returned as a guest but as a part of Bengal,” she said.
The author also expressed appreciation to the event organizers and the authorities for their security and respect for her right to participate in the literary programme. During the event at Rabindra Sadan, she will be sharing the stage with some of the literary and public personalities from West Bengal.
Strong message on freedom of expression
Taslima Nasreen, known for her staunch support for secularism, women’s rights, and opposition to religious fundamentalism, used the occasion to remind us again that freedom of expression is the most important thing.
She added that the safety and freedom of writers shouldn’t depend on governments or religious groups’ approval.
In her view, protecting differing opinions is one of the bedrocks of a democratic society and genuine freedom of speech.
A life marked by exile
Taslima Nasreen has lived much of her life in exile. In 1994, she was forced to leave Bangladesh after receiving death threats from extremist groups for her writings on religion, women’s rights, and secularism.
She later settled in India and spent some years in Kolkata. But in 2007, violent protests against her autobiography Dwikhandito forced her out of the city. She has since relocated to New Delhi and has mostly remained away from public appearances in Kolkata since then.
Her visit is the first time her public profile is being made in Kolkata since 2007, and thus a significant moment for the author and her readers.
One of South Asia’s most influential and controversial literary voices has returned to the forefront and again has brought the question of freedom of expression, the role of writers in society, and their importance to intellectual and artistic freedom to the surface again in South Asia.
