What's Hot (Taslima Nasreen)

By Susmita Mukherjee, journalist
The Times of India

1. Are you happy being granted residentship status in India? I am sure you would have been happier staying in kolkata.
 
I was first granted resident ship 5 years ago. Every 6 months it gets renewed. It is obvious that a Bengali  would be happier in Bengal. But at least I am satisfied that I am in a country where Bengal belongs. I am not too far from Bengal. My friends from Bengal come to see me in the capital. 
 
2. Last time you were in the national capital, life was like living under house arrest. Is it better now?
 
Two different kinds of life. It is better. I am grateful to Madanjeet Singh, the freedom fighter, a great secular  humanist and the founder of South Asian Foundation, who made my return  possible to India.  After the famous or infamous  'safe house'  episode, the life I am having in India  that is  hosted by Mr. Madanjeet Singh is much more relaxing and restrictions are much less.  He requested Manmohan Singh, the prime minister to allow me to live in India, and the PM Manmohan Singh wrote a letter saying ''“India’s glorious traditions of welcoming people irrespective of caste and creed,community and religion will continue, whatever be the odds.The atmosphere of hate being perpetuated by a small segment within the country will not prevent us from persisting with this tradition. We recognize Taslima Nasreen’s right to remain in a country of her choice, viz., India in this case. She shall also have the option to choose whichever city or state she chooses”
I hope PM's promise would come true one day. I am waiting for that day when there will not problem for me to choose the city where I wish to live.

3. You had pinned your hopes on Sheikh Hasina helping you to return to your roots. but  that again does seem like working out. in perspective, do you think you should have toned down your views in your books and not got into one controversy after the other which has cost  you your freedom, made you lose your home... do you think the battle was worth it?
 
 I tried my best to go back to my motherland, but unfortunately it did not work out. It  is again a  helpless and hopeless situation. India has been my only and the  last refuge, at least I have a hope that I can continue living   in India. If India refuses me, I would be dead.

It is normal to  express  own views in  one's  books. I don't  create controversy, other people do.  A healthy debate in a society is not actually bad. It is rather  necessary to make a society more  democratic, liberal and  civilized. That society is civilized, where everybody can express their opinions freely and nobody is   persecuted. A free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.

I am struggling against the idea that if my beliefs are different than some handful of extremists, I have to lose my home. If we accept the punishment, it will be continued for the future generation. In my lifetime, I want to see the victory of freedom of expression, which is an  integral part of democracy.

Battle or conflict whatever you are saying is constantly going on in a society. The conflict is between fundamentalism and secularism, between irrational blind faith and rational logical thinking, between tradition and innovation, between past and future, between barbarism and modernism, between the people who value freedom and who do not.
 
I know I have not done anything wrong. Whatever I did, I did so for raising consciousness. I strongly believe in democracy, secularism,  and humanism.Labeling me as anti-muslim is an evil conspiracy. I stand beside the oppressed people. In Bangladesh I defended the rights of Hindus, as well as I fought for the rights of Palestinian Muslims and Iraqi Muslims. I financially helped riot hit Muslims in Gujrat. I fought for  the rights of Jews against neo-nazi  organisations. I defend the Christians minority who are  oppressed  in Pakistan. I am not alone, the people who believe in human rights have been doing the same. I believe it is worth to uphold the ideas  which is good for humankind.
 
4. Pranab mukherjee has said he will do everything to welcome a guest but do you think there could be a stituation again where you are asked to leave the country after a few months?

India is the largest democracy in the world. It is a great country. I do not think any situation whatever odd it is,  should  force a  legal resident out of the country. I believe what Pranab Mukherjee promised in the parliament ,is true.
 
5. If it were to happen, where would you go? sweden again?

I have no country to go, no place to stay. period. The West is not place where I belong.
 
6. Are you happy with the way india is handling your case. would you rather have had a secular nation like india being more bold and supporting you?
 
If India wants, India can be bold to support me. India is the  strongest  secular nation in the subcontinent. I  hope that with the support of India, the rest of my  life I can live here peacefully  in India. I am grateful to Indian government for giving me the protection that I need.
 
7. We learn that you have delayed the writing of the next part of your biography? why?

Because of having a nomadic life, I could not concentrate on my writings. Next part of my autobiography will be released in Bengal book fair in January next year.
 
8. As an author do you not think you also have certain responsibilities not to hurt the sentiments of people?
 
I never intend to write anything to hurt the sentiments of people.  i write for women's rights. The mysoginists  are angry with feminists throughout the world. It is true that you can not make all the people happy  by your writings. Some people will  agree, and some will disagree with your ideas.   Seeing the fanatics' violence my sentiment was hurt too. If you want to talk about sentiments, you should not only give importance of the sentiments of those people who are against free thoughts. Individual freedom, tolerance, non-violence and plurality of thoughts are essential in a civilized society.Some people  always try  to change the world for betterment, try  to make   people  enlightened --- this obviously is not accepted by  the obscuratists and   traditionalists.  
 
I strongly believe in freedom of expression. I believe in my rights to express my ideas, as well as their rights   who oppose me. Freedom of expression also includes the rights to offend people. I do not mind to be offended.But in a democratic country it is not right to offer money to kill someone, or attack any one physically. I always encourage the debate or dialogue between two different ideas. I can be enlightened by the opposition's arguments.