Click to play videoControversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Friday buckled under pressure from protestors and the Government by withdrawing passages from her autobiography Dwikhandita that were believed to be anti-Islamic. She told CNN-IBN that for the first time in her life, a so-called secular India had forced her to compromise on her freedom of expression.
Dwikhandita was banned in West Bengal in 2003. The Kolkata High Court had to intervene to allow the book to be sold but the protests against Taslima’s writings has left artists, writers and free thinkers aghast in the country.
And that brings us to the Question of the Day that was asked on CNN-IBN show Face The Nation: Have Taslima and the Government surrendered to minority voices?
On the panel of experts to debate the issue were MP and General Secretary of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind Maulana Sayeed Mahmood Madani, West Bengal state president of Indian Union Muslim League Shahanshah Jehangir, BJP Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar and renowned Odissi and Bharatnatyam dancer Sonal Mansingh. The debate was moderated by Sagarika Ghose.
Freedom and its dichotomy
Freedom is indivisible, former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had once said, but in India it seems freedom suffers from a dichotomy.
The controversial writer hopes that after she withdrew the passages from her book there will be no controversy as she wants “to be able to live peacefully” in India.
Taslima was virtually hounded out of Kolkata following large-scale violence during a strike called by the All India Minority Forum demanding cancellation of her visa.
Shortly after the violence, for which the Army had to be called in, Taslima was shunted to Jaipur from where she was moved to Delhi.
So, are the religious leaders satisfied after the gag order on the writer? Maulana Madani opened the debate by saying that he isn’t.
“No, I am not satisfied but I want to put an end to this controversy. That’s why I have appealed that people should forgive the one who has erred in the name of God. People should not get an opportunity to unnecessarily continue with the protests,” Madani said.
Many feel that this issue may die down soon but such cases are often whipped up to keep the community in a state of perpetual fervent.
Disagreeing with the accusation, Jehangir said, “I am not in agreement with what Mr Madani has said and neither am I taking up this issue as a political game. But let me be very clear that Taslima’s offer to delete portions of her book is nothing but a ploy with the Left Front government to fool the Muslim community in order to secure her safe passage back to West Bengal.”
Jehangir added that Taslima didn’t realise that by writing this book, which has sold thousands of copies, she has hurt the global community.
“The question of deportation comes at the end. She must first publicly accept that all her writings and speech against Islam and Prophet Mohammad are wrong. She must also give undertaking to the people of India that she will never indulge in such anti-Islamic activities either through her writings or her speech. If she does so then only we can think about forgiving her,” Jehangir argued and then hastened to add that “defending our religion does not mean we are fundamentalists.”
But the BJP, which has been fighting for Taslima’s cause, is disappointed by the deletion of the controversial passages as the party feels that the nations’ democratic attitude has been jeoparadised by this move.
“My first reaction is that I am very sad and pained to see the state and Central Government pressurising a writer like this. Even on the controversy of riddles by Dr BR Ambedkar we stood by our convictions that people have the freedom to write. But if this is what intolerance has brought us to then it’s a very sad day today for democracy and secularism. Taslima has compromised because she too wants the safety of her life,” Javadekar reasoned.
The BJP Spokesperson said that the issue is not to do with Muslims or Hindus. “I am not talking about Taslima’s case alone. What matters more is the principle of the freedom of expression,” he said.
Meanwhile, as a fellow artist Sonal Mansingh said that if she was asked to stop dancing in a particular manner just because it was objectionable to a community, she wouldn’t agree to it.
“Freedom of expression and thought is fundamental to a democracy. As an artist, a human being and a thinking person I value it above everything else. There is also a question of self-respect here. If I respect what I am doing then I won’t be able to compromise on it come what may. Though, many would say that if I were to put myself in Taslima’s shoes then would I realise how difficult it has been for her. I do feel sympathetic, but have lost respect for the powers who gave in so easily,” Mansingh said.
I vs Islam
Can a religious tradition, which is as great and magnificent as Islam be damaged by something written by a writer? Whether it’s the Danish cartoons or this Taslima case, can they really damage a centuries-old religion?
Madani argued that in the name of freedom of expression one cannot say just about anything to anybody.
Agreeing that such issues will not affect Islam, Madani said that people’s sentiments must not be hurt. “Calling somebody a prostitute in the name of freedom of expression is not right. There are limitations to everything,” he said.
But as leaders of a community is it right for politicians and religious heads to keep on harping on religious identity and humiliation? Surely, there are other issues like education, development and economic growth.
To which Jehangir said, “It is wrong to say that we are harping on religious issues. I want to ask that if a person maligns a religion can that be called freedom of speech? Like during the Ram Setu episode, Karnataka Chief Minister M Karunanidhi also said things that led to a big uproar. When the majority community creates an issue nobody makes any hue and cry about it.”
Replying to Jehangir’s allegations, Javadekar said, “Karunanidhi is still the Chief Minister. He has not been banned and neither has he gone in hiding. He has not been bullied into apologising. We democratically demanded that he must apologise as he has insulted Lord Ram.”
He argued that the BJP is espousing freedom of expression and not anti-Muslim rhetoric. “It’s the Government’s cognizance with fundamentalists that we are against,” Javadekar said.
Artist, an anarchist?
What is the definition of an artist? Is he someone who always speaks his mind or he is someone who respects the limitations of a society?
Mansingh believes that artists should always be anarchists like Spanish painter Pablo Picasso and other artists. “Even MF Husain is an anarchist and so am I. So were all the great minds. Anarchy is a part of creative expression. In the hands of a master artist anarchy creates beauty and shows a mirror to the society,” she said.
The debate ended on a polarised note as Mansingh insisted that artists must always question while politicians believed that there are limits to freedom of expression and Muslim leaders said that it’s religion that has been insulted, and that is the greatest insult of all.
Final results of the SMS poll:
Yes – 95 per cent
No – 5 per cent
CNN-IBN Editorial
The Taslima Nasreen episode has perhaps forced us to realise the limits of Indian secularism. Sure, artists and intellectuals should not cause religious hurt, but the question is can great religions like Islam ever be damaged by a single writer? Once again, it is clear that for Indian governments in the quest for votes, the commitment to secularism and freedom comes second. Instead, satisfying militant religious groups, Hindu and Muslim, seems to be the government’s first priority.
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