The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : The Taslima issue

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Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

The Taslima issue

The plight of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has created unprecedented commotion in the media as well as Parliament. It has stirred the nation’s conscience and rightly so. But I wonder why the nation’s conscience is not disturbed over artist M.F. Husain’s plight. He has been living in London and is being hounded by the Hindutva brigade. While a foreigner is being treated as a state guest, why is an Indian citizen being treated shabbily? Does the nation maintain different yardsticks for Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists?

Abdaal M Akhtar,

Secunderabad

* * *

No right-thinking person will deny that the protests against Taslima by religious bigots are condemnable. But there is an irony in the BJP’s support for her and its demand that she be granted Indian citizenship.

I wonder why the party created a hue and cry over the Ramar Sethu issue. It is more than obvious that the BJP has different yardsticks for identical circumstances, the only difference being the religion that is being commented on.

Madhan Anbalagan,

Chennai

* * *

Violent protests against some or the other ‘artistic-literary’ expression have become routine. Whether they are triggered by those who are genuinely hurt by the work or by politically motivated zealots, sadly enough, the ordinary people, many of whom never confront the actual content of the issue, bear the brunt. If a person is insensitive to the problems of the ordinary people and defends, in the name of freedom of expression, his or her alleged acts of blasphemy, he or she has no right to be called an artist. In the larger interest of the people, Taslima should be deported as soon as possible.

Balvinder Singh,

Chandigarh

* * *

The report “All-round support for Taslima” (Nov. 24) says CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters that the West Bengal government had “no role to play” in Ms Nasreen leaving Kolkata. Does Mr. Yechury think his fellow Indians are dumb enough to believe this?

Mahatma Gandhi, who found many answers to our ills, could not unravel one mystery. So he expressed his puzzlement with an interrogation mark. “How can men feel themselves honoured by humiliating their fellowmen?” Bapu’s ideals are rarely even thought of. My appeal to Mr. Yechury is: never again humiliate your fellowmen.

A. Thirugnana

sambandamoorthy,

Chengalpattu

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The Taslima issue