Dear Sir,
The members and
office bearers and of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations condemn the
attack on Taslima Nasrin and the office bearers of the Center for Enquiry by the
Muslim fundamentalists at Hyderabad press club. In particular resorting to
violence to shut voices which are not to their ideology has been a hall mark of
all fundamentalists any where in the world and the Majlis-e-Ittehadul a
Muslimeen is no exception to this. The statement that “who had mustered the guts
to invite her to Hyderabad” is a deplorable statement and does not have any role
in a democratic secular country like ours. What does the M.I.M think of
themselves? Are they above the laws of the land? Are we in India or some
fundamentalist country like Saudi Arabia or Pakistan where the Mullahs dictate
law?
It is such
people who give grist to the mill of the religious fundamentalists of the other
camps to spread the fires of communalism. Taslima should be provided with full
protection to air her views. We once again condemn this attack and request the
government to see that the law of the land is respected by all those who want to
be the citizens of this secular, democratic republic.
See Photo
Woman of courage
Hindu - 11.8.2007
Writers and
artists have been targeted many times by the fundamentalist fringe in India but
the cowardly attack on Taslima Nasrin is a first on several counts. The exiled
Bangladeshi feminist writer was roughed up in the full glare of cameras during a
function held at the Hyderabad Press Club. The goons belonging to the All India
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen were led by three party MLAs. Far from being
remorseful, Majlis president Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi said the three legislators
and four others who were arrested “deserved a pat on their back for what they
have done”; and noted regretfully that “we should have done more.” Other Majlis
leaders threatened to kill Ms. Nasrin if she set foot in Hyderabad again. Under
the circumstances, there is a widespread feeling that those responsible for the
attack — who were charged with rioting, trespass, and criminal intimidation and
released on bail in a few hours after arrest — were let off lightly under the
aegis of a soft government. While the Majlis is not a formal ally of the ruling
Congress in Andhra Pradesh, it has some kind of understanding with it. This was
in evidence when the Majlis backed the Congress candidate in last year’s
Karimnagar Parliamentary by-election.
The attack
could have been prevented had the organiser of the function informed the police
in advance about the presence of Ms. Nasrin, whose writings on women’s issues
and religion have drawn fire from Muslim fundamentalists in Bangladesh and
India. The aggressive posture adopted recently by the Majlis on ‘Muslim’ issues
seems related to anxieties over the erosion of its political base in its
Hyderabad ‘stronghold.’ Concerted efforts by political rivals — particularly,
the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which has highlighted the utter lack of
development in this area — to break the Majlis’ hold over the Old City seem to
have rattled its leadership. As for Ms. Nasrin, she has been a target of
Islamists ever since the publication of Lajja, a novel that captures her
response to the anti-Hindu riots that broke out in parts of Bangladesh following
the demolition of the Babri Masjid in late 1992. Her account of the communal
frenzy and the mistreatment of the Hindu minority made her persona non grata
in Bangladesh. Her views on religion, sexual freedom, and women’s emancipation
have led to death threats from Muslim fundamentalists. The author, who lives in
Kolkata and is the recipient of a string of awards — including the Sakharov
Prize from the European Parliament — is a woman of courage. She has not been
cowed down by fanatical fatwas and other threats. The Hyderabad incident will
certainly not silence her secular-feminist voice.
Shame - Letters
to The Editor
Hindu - 11.8.2007
All secular and
progressive people should condemn in one voice the attack on Bangladeshi writer
Taslima Nasrin in Hyderabad by a mob led by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
legislators. India’s secular image stands tarnished at the global level. Taslima
is here because we are a secular nation. The three MLAs should be dismissed from
the Assembly. We should also guard against attempts by fascist forces to
communalise the issue.
B. Ekbal,
Kottayam
The attack by
the lawmakers is a shame on the values of democracy. As elected MLAs, they are
expected to respect and protect the freedom of expression enshrined in the
Constitution. The MLAs should be disqualified with immediate effect.
Kishore Kumar
Soma,
Hyderabad
The MLAs have
brought Lajja (shame) to the nation. How do they seek to justify the
attack on a woman? What precedent are they setting for the Muslim youth? By
acting as they did, they have only proved Ms. Nasrin — and her views — right
Rohit Nair,
Visakhapatnam
One wonders
whether the MLAs deserve to sit in the legislature. Such elements should be
dealt with firmly under the law. Their statements after the attack show they
have no respect for the law, let alone women. It is time parties such as the MIM
were banned for advocating such rabid views on religion.
G. Umesh,
Surathkal
Resorting to
violence to muzzle the voices of those who do not conform to their ideology has
been the hallmark of fundamentalists anywhere in the world. The MIM is no
exception. The activists’ question as to who mustered the guts to invite Ms.
Nasrin to Hyderabad is deplorable and has no place in a democratic, secular
country like ours. It is people like them who provide grist to the mill of
fundamentalists of other religions to spread the fire of communalism.
Narendra
Nayak,
Mangalore
I came to
Hyderabad in 1960. I was astounded by the dignity and civility of the people.
Courtesy from aadab to khuda hafiz was the hallmark of the
Hyderabadis. I have many Muslim friends whose culture has always been a source
of inspiration to me. But I do not know how to react after seeing the newspapers
today. An unprotected woman being attacked in public by men! Outrageous!
R. Ramanan,
Hyderabad
The attack was
cowardly, cheap, and undemocratic. Every civilised person must condemn it and
every Indian must hang his head in shame for the violence unleashed against a
woman. I have not read any work of Ms. Nasrin. But I support her right to
express her views through literature. Even if I disagree with her writings, I
will make known my opposition through civilised ways.
K. Anilkumar,
Tirupur
I do not agree
with Ms. Nasrin’s views but I condemn the attack on her in the strongest
possible words. I hope non-Muslims will not consider the perpetrators of this
attack the representatives of Indian Muslims.
Haseeb Khan,
Nagpur
There are
several ways of expressing opposition and there is no place for vandalism in a
democracy. It is a shame that MLAs led the attack on the writer.
B.
Radhakrishna Murty,
Hyderabad
That elected
representatives took the lead in organising an act of vandalism makes the
incident more shameful. Adding insult to injury is their statement justifying
their act. The unsavoury incident, which is yet another blow against democracy,
points to the dangers of growing fanaticism and the need for the law-enforcement
agencies to crack down.
B. Suresh
Kumar,
Coimbatore
It was highly
disturbing to watch on television a group of mindless entities calling
themselves ‘true Musalmaans’ inflicting humiliation on Ms. Nasrin. None of the
people on the dais including Taslima, though visibly shattered, ran away from
the scene. They stood up to the vandalism, which was heartening.
S.V.
Venugopalan
Chennai
The sight of
the terrified woman trying to protect herself was pathetic. She is in a foreign
country and has left everything and everyone close to her behind for her
principles. The MLAs should be disqualified and punished for attempting to kill
a hapless woman.
W. Isaac,
Nagercoil
August 10 was a
black day for democracy in India. For the millions watching the footage on
television, the incident showed what the MLAs believed was legitimate —
violence. Ms. Nasrin’s ‘fault’ — she spoke against a religious order that
legitimises treating men and women differently. Before the ghastly incident
fades out of public memory and anything more important (like a celebrity kiss)
steals the show, I hope the MLAs are punished under the law.
Anirudh
Pulipaka,
Secunderabad
The act of
hooliganism should be condemned by all. Irrespective of the so-called fatwas
against the woman writer, Muslim zealots would do well to remember that India is
not an Islamic republic.
K.P. Ashok
Kumar,
Thiruvananthapuram
It is a matter
of disgrace and shame to the whole nation that a foreigner, a woman, has been
treated so shabbily in our country. It is all the more disturbing to learn that
MLAs were responsible for attacking her. Fundamentalism, if not checked in time,
will degenerate into terrorism as it did in Pakistan recently.
K.V.S.S.S.
Rajeswari,
Vijayawada
The MIM
legislators have done a disservice to their party and all they claim to
represent. Their assault was not only on freedom of expression but also on the
values for which our nation stands, including hospitality. The fact that they
resorted to vandalism when there are so many peaceful ways of protesting exposes
their skewed vision.
Suresh
Manoharan,
Hyderabad
The assault on
Taslima by the legislators aptly reflects their moral bankruptcy. They have
shamed all of India by their behaviour. I am sure none of her attackers would
have read Taslima’s works or for that matter any sensible book. The least we can
do now is to hand out exemplary punishment to them.
V.K. Kurian,
Kolkata
Rising
intolerance
Hindu -
11.8.2007
The attack
has yet again exposed the rising culture of intolerance and extremism. Whether
it is with respect to the works of M.F. Husain, Chandramohan or Taslima Nasrin,
the moral police are not ready to explore democratic options to voice their
opposition. They believe in using muscle power to curb the voice of artists and
writers. The strangest thing in Ms. Nasrin’s case is the involvement of MLAs,
who are supposed to be the custodians of the Constitution.
Nutan Maurya,
New Delhi
The highly
condemnable and barbaric attack by goons masquerading as torch-bearers of the
Muslim community needs to be viewed in the light of extreme state inaction on
acts by the lunatic fringe of different communities. Should not organisations such as the MIM and the Bajrang Dal who are a law unto themselves
be banned and every such act be severely punished to preserve our democracy?
Kasim Sait,
Chennai
The MIM
activists and their ilk represent the intolerant sections which do not believe
in democracy and secularism. They may be in a minority now but if they go
unpunished, the malaise of violence against voices of dissent will spread
rapidly.
A.
Paramesham,
New Delhi
The
perpetrators of such acts call themselves saviours of religion, but their real
motive is to gain political mileage. The MLAs’ direct involvement in the attack
on Ms. Nasrin, besides being disturbing, throws a big challenge to the efficacy
of our legal system and democracy. In all likelihood, they will go scot-free and
may even be re-elected.
K.V. Mohan
Rao,
Visakhapatnam
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