Twenty-five years in exile have slightly changed Taslima Nasreen, but she has not mellowed one bit
It is an overcast Saturday in the capital. Taslima Nasreen potters around her home. A true Delhiwala, she has moved home more than once. Getting a flat was not easy. She had the money, but very few landlords want to make a point about literary freedom. For three years, she has been in this house, where, through the window, she gazes into the green—from the pale green Gulmohar leaves to the darker neem. Nasreen is chattering with the gardener in Bangla to plant seeds. Language is her home, she says. Her tiny terrace is an explosion of plants—curry leaves, lilies, periwinkles and a potted palm—a sort of recreation of the garden of her childhood. “I only have plants that existed in my garden when I was growing up,’’ she says. “I collect them.’’
Twenty-five years an exile, Nasreen has not mellowed. She blazed on to the literary scene as a rebel. Her book was banned. Hers was, and is, a voice that refuses to be silenced. She has switched publishers though and is now with HarperCollins India. (Her new book—Shameless—will be out soon). Provocative, and often controversial, she has chosen to speak her mind, despite death threats. Perhaps, because of it. “I feel scared. But because of that, will I shut my mouth?’’ she asks. “It is not my fault. My opinions made fundamentalists furious. Lajja made the government furious. I blamed the government for not giving the minorities enough security. I was threatened. Cases were filed against me. I was thrown out of Bangladesh. Is it my fault or is it societies? A writer should be free to write. A writer should feel safe. If I can’t express myself freely, then there is something wrong in society.”
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 04, 2019-Ausgabe von THE WEEK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 04, 2019-Ausgabe von THE WEEK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Indira's Bang
How Indira Gandhi secured the borders, ended food import, before going for the test
Who's Afraid Of A New Nuclear Doctrine?
It has been 50 years since Pokhran I. With its capabilities increasing and global power equations changing, does India need to look at reviewing its nuclear doctrine?
I don't think things will change because of the win
When independent filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light scripted history by winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, it was not just a proud moment for the film's team, but also a triumph for the collective aspirations of women across the country.
Sid for kids
As a child, Sidhartha Mallya wished he had someone in his life to tell him what he wants to convey in his latest children's book, Sad Glad
Ready to roll
Following the Pokhran tests, India has operationalised a credible deterrent that the nation should be proud of
Breaking nuclear apartheid
How India protected its ability to move ahead with the nuclear weapons programme despite not signing the NPT
Power point
The Pokhran tests launched India's march towards being a full partner and participant in the global nuclear order
Shock and awe
India’s comprehensive capability in the nuclear domain is the result of its autonomous pursuit of the atomic programme against all odds
Spied on none, stole from none
A senior scientist during the Pokhran test in 1974 and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission during the tests in 1998, Dr Rajagopala Chidambaram has been a key figure in the Indian nuclear journey.
Leader with a difference
ARVIND KEJRIWAL'S RETURN TO JAIL APPEARS IMMINENT. BUT HIS BLISTERING POLL CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE BRIGHTENED INDIA BLOC’S PROSPECTS