A senior government source said they were reconsidering the issue of extending her visa when it expires on February 16.
NEW DELHI: Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen’s interviews to the media – where she talked about her anguish at living in isolation in Delhi – has put the government in a flap. The authorities have not taken kindly to her leaking the details of secret talks between her and the government. A senior government source said they were reconsidering the issue of extending her visa when it expires on February 16.
Taslima holds a Swedish passport and is on a residence visa, which has to be renewed every six months. It was last renewed on August 16. There is a growing feeling in government circles that every time her visa is up for renewal, or when one of her books is being released, a fresh row erupts around her.
“While we can agree to let her stay, she must also refrain from doing anything which leads to social tensions in the country. After all, we also have a responsibility to our people,” said the senior government functionary.
The controversial author had been living in exile in Kolkata for the last couple of years after being forced out of Bangladesh following the publication of her controversial novel Lajja. Last month she was forced to leave the city after receiving threats from a Muslim group, the All India Minorities Forum, which accuses her of insulting Islam in her writings.
Taslima first fled to Rajasthan and then moved to Delhi, where she has been put up in a safe house provided to her by the security agencies. Some time back it was indicated to her that it might not be possible for her to go back to Kolkata in a hurry, given the tense situation there. A few days ago, senior intelligence officials made it clear to her that not only will she not be able to go back to Kolkata to collect her belongings, but even in Delhi she would have to live with certain restrictions. It would not be “advisable” for her to take part in public functions.
Following this, Taslima has been complaining bitterly about her isolation. “I want to live a normal life here. I’ve everything except freedom of movement,” she told AP news agency. “They want to protect me. But they can always provide me with security when I go out,” she said. “I’ve a cell phone and internet, but no freedom of movement. That’s not helping me at all. I can’t concentrate on my work,” she said.
The Taslima controversy has put the UPA government in a spot of bother. The CPI (M) in West Bengal has decided to wash its hands off the issue, saying that it was a matter between the author and the central government. “It is for the central government to decide (on her visa). The state government (in West Bengal) has nothing to do with it,” CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters.
Ideally, the UPA leadership would want the author to continue living in the country while maintaining a low profile. This would help allow the current controversy to die down. The government is conscious of the sensitivities of some sections to her writings, and it wants her to lie low for a while.
“We have given her sanctuary here. But she also needs to understand that there is a certain responsibility on her to respect the sentiments of people and not to do or say anything that might upset them,” said the senior government functionary.
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