KOLKATA: With the formation of the first-ever BJP government in Bengal, noted writer Taslima Nasrin is returning after a gap of 20 years, since 2007. to attend a literary programme organised by anti-fundamentalist poets and writers at Rabindra Sadan, a prime cultural hub in the city.
The event is scheduled to be held on August 1. Sources said that the BJP chief minister Suvendu Adhikari is also expected to attend the programme, sharing the stage with Taslima.
The organisers have reportedly invited Suvendu. In a social media post, Taslima has made this announcement. She has been invited by Secular Mission and the Human Rights and Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Foundation (HRBFF).
The organisers said the invitation is in recognition of her long-standing stand against fundamentalism and her advocacy of freedom of expression.
Mohit Roy, on behalf of one of the two organisers, said, “There is no legal problem for Taslima to come to West Bengal. Earlier, the two previous governments in the State were forced to bow down to the fundamentalists. Now, there has been a change of guard in power in the state, and people like us, who keep in touch with Taslima, have decided to bring her back to Kolkata.”
“There is no political relation with politics behind this event. But her security is indeed a major issue. The state government has ensured to provide adequate security arrangements for Taslima during her visit to Kolkata,” Roy said.
Calcutta High Court lawyer Osman Mullick, on behalf of the Secular Mission, in his social media post, stated that she is finally coming, defeating all reactionary forces.
Her proposed visit has sparked fresh discussions in literary and cultural circles, given her long and turbulent association with the city.
Nasrin left Kolkata in 2007 during the tenure of the CPI-M-led Left Front government led by the former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya in Bengal after violent protests over her novel ‘Dwikhandito’ led to a deterioration in the law and order situation in Kolkata.
Army was deployed to bring the situation under control. The Left government had banned the controversial novel.
Later, the former Trinamool Congress government also continued the ban on the book. Since then, several attempts to facilitate her return have been unsuccessful, with events being cancelled over security concerns.
“Taslima had to leave Bengal, and later she could not return to the state because of minority vote bank politics of the two previous governments. She has been staying in India as per the rules of the Central government. There are no such restrictions on her movement,” said Prof Bimalshankar Nanada, BJP’s Bengal spokesperson.
Taslima has often described Kolkata as the city closest to her heart. However, opposition from religious fundamentalist groups and recurring security concerns kept her away.
Known for her outspoken views on women's rights, secularism and freedom of expression, she has drawn both international acclaim and controversy.
Her criticism of conservative interpretations of Islam has triggered protests in the past and forced her into exile.
After spending several years in Europe, she eventually moved to India, where she lived in Kolkata between 2004 and 2007 before being forced to leave following violent protests by fundamentalist groups.
Taslima holds Swedish citizenship.
In September 2024, she had expressed concern over her future in India after her residence permit expired in July and was not immediately renewed.
At the time, she also voiced anxiety over the political turmoil in Bangladesh following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
She claimed that she was unable to get clarity from the officials concerned on the status of her application and that the online portal continued to show her request as "updating". Her residence permit was subsequently renewed following the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“Taslima had to leave Bengal, and later she could not return to the state because of minority vote bank politics of the two previous governments. She has been staying in India as per the rules of the Central government. She can come to Bengal as there are no such restrictions on her movement,” said Prof Bimalshankar Nanada, BJP’s Bengal spokesperson.