Mahasweta Devi slams cancellation of Taslima’s book launch

Kolkata - Magsaysay Award winning author Mahasweta Devi Friday strongly criticised the cancellation of the release of controversial writer Taslima Nasreen’s book following objections from fundamentalists.

“It is unfortunate and shameful. I have been seeing her writing books since long and every time she has to face such opposition. Just because she writes, should such a treatment be meted out to her? Such behaviour from the city is not at all acceptable, said the eminent writer.

Mahasweta Devi was at the 36th Kolkata Book Fair (KBF) to release a book penned by rights activist Sujato Bhadra.

The seventh volume of Nasreen's autobiography 'Nirbasan' (Exile) was not allowed to be released at the scheduled venue at KBF Wednesday after the organisers denied permission to the publisher of the book to do so.

The latest instalment of the Bengali autobiography details the circumstances of her forced exile from Kolkata in 2007 following threats from Islamic fundamentalists and the hardships she faced after losing her "adopted home" as she called the metropolis.

Nasreen shot to fame with her controversial book "Lajja" and has been the target of Islamic fundamentalists. She has been in exile from Bangladesh since 1994.

During her exile, she has lived in various countries, including France, Sweden and India - in Kolkata. However, she was dramatically bundled out of West Bengal in 2007. Despite her wish to return to the state, the Left government did not pay any heed to her request.

Earlier, Islamic fundamentalists had issued fatwas against her both in Bangladesh and in India.