[Reader-list] Arundhati/Mahasweta/Ashish/Girish on Taslima Nasrin

Fri Feb 15 09:22:26 IST 2008

It seems to me the more important thing to discuss in the context of free
expression of one's thoughts is not so much "freedom *of* speech" as
"freedom *after* speech".

Sudeshna

On Thu, Feb 14, 2008 at 7:46 PM, Asit asitreds <asitredsalute at gmail.com>
wrote:

> freinds the taslima issue is not only the question of right to freedom of
> expression but also the third world womens struggle against patriarchy
> taslima has consistently written about the rights of women which has
> angerd
> the religious establishment who are pampered for vote bank poltics
> asit
>
>
> On 2/13/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net <radhikarajen at vsnl.net> wrote:
> >
> > Sir,
> >
> > the very statement that freedom of speech and expression is absolute and
> > unfettered is absolutely incorrect in a civilised society, as societal
> > right
> > to be civilised in expression of speech.Rrights do have a bearing on
> > societal rights in civilised society with duties as the other side of
> > right.
> > While I fully empathise with Taslima nasreen and the political games
> being
> > played with this issue by the athiests in the society, with views
> > expressed
> > one may or may not agree. But to say that freedom of expression is
> > absolute
> > is like saying that as free citizen every one has right to have coitus
> on
> > the median of highway in front of all passing vehicular traffic.
> > No freedom is absolute in a society where it impinges on the rights of
> > others in society. Taslima or Hussain can express themselves freely
> within
> > the parametres of civil society.Hussain in his expression so creative
> uses
> > his artistic skills to graphically expose his pervert sense of depravity
> > in
> > showing his motherland in nude. ? Why his creative expression looks at
> his
> > mother fully clothed. ? All those symbols considered sacred and
> worshipped
> > as believers like, are his objects of expression and crative artistic
> > liberty and right to express in nude. ? Why the same creative expression
> > does not get inspired to portray his parents in conjugal bliss on
> canvass.
> > ?
> > In Taslimas expression, sure, she has not offended anybody except the
> > clergies of a faith who think that they are the tekedars of the faith,
> > which
> > again is bad in any faith irrespective of the faith, but same is
> happening
> > in all faiths.
> > All faiths are ways of living a good life, in material, intellectual and
> > spiritual spheres of human existence. To believe or not to believe in
> any
> > faith is free choice. But the clergies of the faith ,in any faith,
> always
> > try to impose that their faith is the only saviour, which is
> unfortunate.
> > Society in free India is divided at the very instant of achieving the
> > freedom of the nation in 1947, by dividing the land mass on faith, then
> > allowing the citizens the option not to go that land mass created for
> > faith.
> > The truth of the matter is even though the bangladesh and pakistan were
> > created for the followers of faith, they are failed states in
> governance.
> > India, which could have good governance chose to be "secular" but in
> > practise, it only created more divisions in the land mass with language,
> > region and castes communes for political gains. to cap it left further
> > encouraged the neighbouring nations' citizens to have a stay in the free
> > India with fake ration cards, ids and opportunities to live in this
> > nation,
> > while governance in the federal state was diluted to total lack of
> > governance or no governance with fuedal lords of individual communes
> > mastering the art of securing "class votes", " commune votes"  and
> > "regional
> > votes" in the election frey. And today election is a fight to secure
> votes
> > by any fair or foul means to secure power and possession of material
> > wealth,
> > not service to all citizens.In the process, the free India is now
> islands
> > of
> > communes with every commune trying to corner maximun benefits of
> democracy
> > to their communes with out fear, depriving the common citizen of all the
> > opportunities to live a dignified life in the nation.
> >
> > Regards.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Naeem Mohaiemen" <naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com>
> > To: <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:09 AM
> > Subject: [Reader-list] Arundhati/Mahasweta/Ashish/Girish on Taslima
> Nasrin
> >
> >
> > > Public Statement by Forum For The Protection of Free Speech and
> > Expression
> > >
> > > At a time when India is projecting itself on the
> > > world's stage as a modern democracy, while it hosts
> > > international literary festivals and book fairs, the
> > > Government of India, most mainstream political parties
> > > and their armed squads are mounting a concerted
> > > assault on peoples' right to Free Speech.
> > >
> > > It is a matter of abiding shame that even as some of
> > > the world's best-known writers were attending the
> > > Jaipur literary festival and prestigious publishers
> > > were doing business at the World Book fair in Delhi,
> > > the exiled Bengali writer Taslima Nasrin was (and is)
> > > being held in custody by the Government of India in an
> > > undisclosed location somewhere in or around Delhi in
> > > conditions that amount to house arrest. Contrary to
> > > misleading press reports stating that her visa has
> > > been extended, her visa expires on the 18th of
> > > February, after which she is liable to be deported or
> > > remain confined as an illegal alien.
> > >
> > > Taslima Nasrin is only one in a long list of
> > > journalists, writers, scholars and artists who have
> > > been persecuted, banned, imprisoned, forced into exile
> > > or had their work desecrated in this country. At
> > > different points of time, different governments have
> > > either directly or indirectly resorted to these
> > > measures in order to fan the flames of religious,
> > > regional and ethnic obscurantism to gain popularity
> > > and expand their 'vote-banks'. Every day the threat to
> > > Free Speech and Expression increases.
> > >
> > > In the case of Taslima Nasrin it was the CPI (M) and
> > > not any religious or sectarian group who first tried
> > > to ban her book Dwikhondito some years ago. The ban
> > > was lifted by the Calcutta High Court and the book was
> > > in the market and on bestseller lists in West Bengal
> > > for several years. During those years Taslima Nasrin
> > > lived and worked as a free person in Calcutta without
> > > any threat to her person, without being the cause of
> > > public disorder, protests or demonstrations.
> > > Ironically, Taslima Nasrin's troubles in India began
> > > immediately after the Nandigram uprising when the
> > > people of Nandigram, mostly Dalits and Muslims, rose
> > > to resist the West Bengal Government's attempt to
> > > takeover their land, and tens of thousands of people
> > > marched in Calcutta to protest the government's
> > > actions. Within days a little known group claiming to
> > > speak for the Muslim community asked for a ban on
> > > Dwikhondito and demanded that Taslima Nasrin be
> > > deported. The CPI(M)-led government of West Bengal
> > > immediately caved in to the demand, informed her that
> > > it could not offer her security, and lost no time in
> > > deporting her from West Bengal against her will. The
> > > Congress-led UPA Government has condoned this act by
> > > holding her in custody in Delhi and refusing, thus
> > > far, to extend her visa and relieve her of her public
> > > humiliation. They have once again played the suicidal
> > > card of pitting minority communalism against majority
> > > communalism, a game that can only end in disaster.
> > >
> > > Inevitably, hoping to make political capital out of
> > > the situation, the BJP is publicly shedding crocodile
> > > tears over Taslima Nasrin, going to the extent of
> > > offering her asylum in Gujarat. It seems to expect
> > > people to forget that the BJP, VHP and RSS cadres have
> > > been at the forefront of harassing, persecuting,
> > > threatening and vandalizing newspaper offices,
> > > television studios, galleries, cinema halls,
> > > filmmakers, artists and writers. Or that they have
> > > forced M.F. Husain, one of India's best-known
> > > painters, into exile.
> > >
> > > Meanwhile, in states like Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh
> > > and Karnataka, away from the public glare of press
> > > conferences and television cameras, journalists are
> > > being threatened and even imprisoned. Prashant Rahi
> > > from Uttarakhand, Praful Jha from Chattisgarh,
> > > Srisailum from Andhra Pradesh, P. Govind Kutty from
> > > Kerala are a few examples. As we speak Govind Kutty,
> > > who is on a hunger strike in prison is being
> > > force-fed, bound hand and foot. Scores of ordinary
> > > people, including people like Binayak Sen have been
> > > arrested and held illegally under false charges.
> > >
> > > We the undersigned do not necessarily agree with,
> > > endorse or admire the views or the work of those whose
> > > rights we seek to defend. Many of us have serious
> > > differences with them. We agree that many of them do
> > > offend our (or someone else's) religious, political
> > > and ideological sensibilities. However, we believe
> > > that instead of making them simultaneously into both
> > > victims and heroes, their work should be viewed, read,
> > > criticized and vigorously debated. We believe that the
> > > Freedom of Speech and Expression is an Absolute and
> > > Inalienable Right, and is the keystone of a modern
> > > democracy.
> > >
> > > If the Indian Government deports Taslima Nasrin, or
> > > holds her as an illegal alien, it will shame and
> > > diminish all of us. We demand that she be given a
> > > Resident's Permit or, if she has applied for it,
> > > Indian citizenship, and that she be allowed to live
> > > and work freely in India. We demand that the spurious
> > > cases filed against M.F. Husain be dropped and that he
> > > be allowed to return to a normal life in India. We
> > > demand that the journalists who are being illegally
> > > detained in prison against all principles of natural
> > > justice be released immediately.
> > >
> > > Signed:
> > >
> > > Mahashweta Devi, Arundhati Roy, Ashish Nandy, Girish
> > > Karnad
> > > _________________________________________
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