Taslima

Rajesh started this by sending the following email to the HPS81 group. I had to reply. Vivian - if you plan to turn into a religious freak, here's why you shouldn't. If you are willing to suspend reason for superstition, you are well on your way down the slippery slope. It is only a matter of degrees from there on.

9TH AUGUST will be marked as Black Thursday for the freedom of expression in India as on that day noted Bangladeshi novelist Taslima Nasreen was roughed up by a bunch of activists led by MLAs of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) party in the Press Club of Hyderabad. Nasreen, born in Bangladesh and a popular human rights supporter, was here on a visit to release the Telugu translation of her latest novel ‘Shodh’. As the function was about to conclude, gundas of MIM suddenly barged into the hall and attacked the novelist and all other present with chairs, flower bouquets, chappals etc. among front-runners were MIM MLAs Afsar Khan, Ahmed Pasha and Moazam Khan. They damaged the furniture and glass panes and some of them even reached the dais and roughed up the novelist. Though she escaped unhurt, the others including Narisetti Innaiah, Chairman of the Center for Inquiry who came to her rescue sustained injuries. The so-called member of Legislative assembly attacked Nasreen because her banned novel ‘Lajja’ raised the hackles of Muslim organisations. Lajja was about how Hindu minorities were mistreated in Bangladesh. Police were standing there as mute spectators and it was a state of total law and order failure. The government should take strict action against the culprits and dismiss the Police Commissioner for this shameful incident. We Indians are proud of our democratic culture and hospitality to our guest but this incident has damaged our image at a global level. In the country, which now boasts of a Woman President and Women Chief of Congress Party, it is a matter of worry if this is the way we treat a woman guest. This incident could definitely be described as black Thursday for freedom of expression in India.

As a beginning, let us see what all of us feel on the subject. I hope you do feel something about it. My questions are two:

1. If we let our right to freedom of expression get assaulted without voicing protest, are we dooming our country?
2. What can be the justification the MLA's have for the assault? They must have some justification, right?

Rajesh

My reply:

Siasat reports from a few minutes ago that Hyd Police have registered a case against *her*. My answers:

1. Yes
2. Why guess:

"We are not bothered about our MLA status. We are Muslims first. And its our responsibility to test those who have said anything against Islam in which ever way possible," said Akbaruddin Owaisi, MIM MLA.

My 2 cents: The freedom of press is a nice thing to defend. But you are defending it against those doing God's work.

You, Rajesh, are more logical than most. Do you examine your religious beliefs, however benign, with the same level of reason you use elsewhere?

I'm an atheist. It was harder to say I'm not Hindu. Should I expect others to not try to protect their religious beliefs - strange and militant and undemocratic as they may seem to me - without dumping their religion?