Mahasweta Devi slams cancellation of Taslima’s book launch
February 4th, 2012 - 12:26 am ICT by IANS
Kolkata, Feb 3 (IANS) Magsaysay Award winning author Mahasweta Devi Friday strongly criticised the cancellation of the release of controversial writer Taslima Nasreen’s book following objections from fundamentalists.
“It is unfortunate and shameful. I have been seeing her writing books since long and every time she has to face such opposition. Just because she writes, should such a treatment be meted out to her? Such behaviour from the city is not at all acceptable, said the eminent writer.
Mahasweta Devi was at the 36th Kolkata Book Fair (KBF) to release a book penned by rights activist Sujato Bhadra.
The seventh volume of Nasreen’s autobiography ‘Nirbasan’ (Exile) was not allowed to be released at the scheduled venue at KBF Wednesday after the organisers denied permission to the publisher of the book to do so.
The latest instalment of the Bengali autobiography details the circumstances of her forced exile from Kolkata in 2007 following threats from Islamic fundamentalists and the hardships she faced after losing her “adopted home” as she called the metropolis.
Nasreen shot to fame with her controversial book “Lajja” and has been the target of Islamic fundamentalists. She has been in exile from Bangladesh since 1994.
During her exile, she has lived in various countries, including France, Sweden and India - in Kolkata. However, she was dramatically bundled out of West Bengal in 2007. Despite her wish to return to the state, the Left government did not pay any heed to her request.
Earlier, Islamic fundamentalists had issued fatwas against her both in Bangladesh and in India.
- Organisers cancel launch of Taslima's book at scheduled venue - Feb 01, 2012
- Book banning helps fundamentalists: Taslima Nasreen (Interview) - Feb 28, 2012
- Kolkatans demand return of Bangla author Taslima Nasreen - Nov 23, 2010
- First Rushdie, now Taslima - end of cultural tolerance? (West Bengal Newsletter) - Feb 05, 2012
- Allow Taslima to return to Kolkata: Mahasweta Devi - Nov 23, 2010
- Buddhadeb threw me out, now he's losing, Taslima tweets - May 13, 2011
- Taslima tweets praise for Mamata, sarcasm for Buddhadeb (Lead) - May 13, 2011
- Kishenji was killed in fake shootout: Mahasweta Devi - Feb 03, 2012
- Unrepentant Taslima says she will never apologise like Rushdie - Aug 04, 2009
- Kolkata litterateurs to protest 'persecution' of 'Satanic Verses' readers - Jan 24, 2012
- Mamata not a fascist, says Mahasweta Devi - Nov 24, 2011
- Never wrote for any Kannada daily, says Taslima - Mar 02, 2010
- Taslima whips up storm in Nepal's literary cup - Aug 22, 2011
- Mahasweta Devi hospitalised - Sep 10, 2011
- I want to return home, Taslima Nasreen tells Sheikh Hasina - Jul 09, 2009
Tags: autobiography, bangladesh, bengali, book launch, cancellation, controversial book, controversial writer, exile, hardships, heed, instalment, islamic fundamentalists, kbf, lajja, metropolis, objections, organisers, target, west bengal, writing books