Indian Ex-Judge backs Taslima

A former judge of the Indian Supreme Court favours permanent residence in India for the exiled and controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Agartala Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 2 August 2014, 12:03 PM
Updated : 2 August 2014, 12:59 PM

Justice Markandey Katju, who is also Chairman of Press Council of India, has said that Taslima should be given “permanent” residency in India.

He said he did not find anything against Islam in the contents to her controversial book 'Lajja' (Shame).

“In my opinion she should be given a permanent visa to reside in India,” the former Supreme Court judge said in a statement. “…Several bigots and fanatics have hounded her ever since she wrote her book Lajja…. It only depicts the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh after the demolition of the Babri Masjid.”

Taslima, had life threats from Islamic fundamentalist groups in her homeland, allegedly for her anti-Islamic views and has been in exile since 1994.

She had taken refuge in Kolkata for sometime but was denied a year-long extension of her visa by the Indian government and, instead, given one for two months.

In a statement, Justice Katju said he had read in the newspapers that Taslima's visa had been extended by only two months and added said that “she should be given a permanent visa to reside in India”.

The 51-year-old writer had applied for a resident permit and the Indian home ministry granted her a mere two-month extension, pending verifications.

Upset over India's decision, Taslima said it was beyond her imagination.
Taslima is now a Swedish citizen. She has spent the past two decades in exile, living in the US, Europe and India.

However, on many occasions she had expressed her wish to permanently live in India, specially in Kolkata.