Taslima attacked - A blot on India and its secularism and liberalism

    On August 9, 2007 Taslima Nasreen(Nasrin), noted Bangladeshi writer was physically attacked and verbally abused by members of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(MIM), a political Islamist party with its roots in the Nizam era and based in the old Hyderabad region; when she was in Hyderabad for the release of the Telugu translation of her novel Shodh. They were protesting against the writer's book named Lajja.

    It was really very shocking to see goons along with MIM party members barge into the press meet and vent their anger on her n her colleagues. Chairs, Bouquet along with worst abuses were hurled at her. The MIM party members after the blitzkrieg came live on TV and justified their act. They even threatened to kill her with no fear of Law or Constitution.
When a news channel asked them whether they have read the book Lajja, first they fumbled with the name as if hearing for the first time and then the answer was NO ! They replied that they were protesting because they feel the book hurts Islamic feelings. I simply cant understand how they inferred that it hurts when they didn't even bother to read the Book ! The actual reason must be minority appeasement and to gather media attention. Tthere is no way their act can be justified. However, this is not the first time that she has been attacked or threatened.

    I am not saying the Book has insulted the religion or not; but the million dollar question is, How can violence be a method to protest in a democratic, liberal, just and secular country ? Doesnt an Author have his/her right to put forth his/her view, the same way as people have right to voice their disapproval ? If you finds it inappropriate, register/voice your protest. The public knows what is appropriate and what is not. There is no need for any political messiah to step in. Also, all those MLA's and MP's who sit in their respective peoples' representative houses to doze off and make a common man's life more miserable; please dont poke your noses into these matters and create a muddle of the situation. Politicians create a problem for their survival! They breed upon such petty issues which they using their aesthetic sense of magnification, make it into a national or even an international level issue! Politicians, how much I despise you and hate earnestly! Also, this is not withheld to a specific religion. Remember the attacks on art students by the Bajarang Dal and its other Saffron wings.

    Examples are many but lessons learnt are a few! For the survival of Independent sovereign secular and liberal India, its people must learn to respect other's feelings and allow them to express it independently. If you find it inappropriate voice it but shun violence! How can a single opinion hurt a religion ? Is any religion so soft and brittle that it cant withstand such a trivial blow ?Religions were not formed in a fortnight or so. They have strong bases that no such opinion can shake! Its simply dirty politics that snowballs the situation. Stay away from this breed!