After Meeting Rajnath Singh, Taslima Nasreen Granted Residential Visa

[thesolar65]

Kolkata: Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said on Saturday that the Indian government has decided to grant her residential visa. Ms Nasreen had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day and requested him that she be allowed to stay in India for a longer period.

"I am very happy. I am very grateful to the government for allowing me to live in this country," she told NDTV. "I feel at home in India," she added.

Ms Nasreen had expressed her anguish after the government on Wednesday refused her a one-year visa giving instead a temporary permission to stay in India for two months.

Following her outburst on a social networking site, support for her has been pouring from various quarters with Press Council of India Chairperson and former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju demanding permanent visa for the 52-year-old who has been living in exile since 1994.

Mr Katju today welcomed the government's decision to grant Ms Nasreen a residential visa. "@narendramodi Modiji, congratulations to your govt. for giving residential visa to Taslima Nasreen. She is a brave woman, hounded by bigots (sic)," Mr Katju tweeted today.

Exiled from Bangladesh in 1994 for "hurting religious sentiments" with her novel "Lajja", Ms Nasreen took refuge in Kolkata in 2004. But after violent protests in the city November 2007, the erstwhile Left Front government whisked her away to New Delhi where she has been living since then.

"I am a Bengali writer but I am not allowed to stay in Bangladesh and West Bengal. I would be very happy if i am allowed to stay in Kolkata," she said today.

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[SarthakGanguly]

Kolkata: Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said on Saturday that the Indian government has decided to grant her residential visa. Ms Nasreen had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day and requested him that she be allowed to stay in India for a longer period.

"I am very happy. I am very grateful to the government for allowing me to live in this country," she told NDTV. "I feel at home in India," she added.

Ms Nasreen had expressed her anguish after the government on Wednesday refused her a one-year visa giving instead a temporary permission to stay in India for two months.

Following her outburst on a social networking site, support for her has been pouring from various quarters with Press Council of India Chairperson and former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju demanding permanent visa for the 52-year-old who has been living in exile since 1994.

Mr Katju today welcomed the government's decision to grant Ms Nasreen a residential visa. "@narendramodi Modiji, congratulations to your govt. for giving residential visa to Taslima Nasreen. She is a brave woman, hounded by bigots (sic)," Mr Katju tweeted today.

Exiled from Bangladesh in 1994 for "hurting religious sentiments" with her novel "Lajja", Ms Nasreen took refuge in Kolkata in 2004. But after violent protests in the city November 2007, the erstwhile Left Front government whisked her away to New Delhi where she has been living since then.

"I am a Bengali writer but I am not allowed to stay in Bangladesh and West Bengal. I would be very happy if i am allowed to stay in Kolkata," she said today.

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She was NOT exiled for hurting 'religious sentiments'. She was exiled for hurting Muslim sentiments alone. She has written enough against Hindus as well, but no one ganged up to behead her.

In any case, good that she can live in peace.

 

[indoPunjabi]

Taslima nasreen ke Achhe din aa gaye. She should be given permanent citizenship of India.

 

[ayesha.a]

She was NOT exiled for hurting 'religious sentiments'. She was exiled for hurting Muslim sentiments alone. She has written enough against Hindus as well, but no one ganged up to behead her.

In any case, good that she can live in peace.

How or when has she "hurt hindu sentiments", or written anything against hindus or hindusim?

 

[Sage]

She was NOT exiled for hurting 'religious sentiments'. She was exiled for hurting Muslim sentiments alone. She has written enough against Hindus as well, but no one ganged up to behead her.

In any case, good that she can live in peace.

Do you means that there is no religious extremism in India ?

 

[NKVD]

Kolkata: Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said on Saturday that the Indian government has decided to grant her residential visa. Ms Nasreen had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day and requested him that she be allowed to stay in India for a longer period.

"I am very happy. I am very grateful to the government for allowing me to live in this country," she told NDTV. "I feel at home in India," she added.

Ms Nasreen had expressed her anguish after the government on Wednesday refused her a one-year visa giving instead a temporary permission to stay in India for two months.

Following her outburst on a social networking site, support for her has been pouring from various quarters with Press Council of India Chairperson and former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju demanding permanent visa for the 52-year-old who has been living in exile since 1994.

Mr Katju today welcomed the government's decision to grant Ms Nasreen a residential visa. "@narendramodi Modiji, congratulations to your govt. for giving residential visa to Taslima Nasreen. She is a brave woman, hounded by bigots (sic)," Mr Katju tweeted today.

Exiled from Bangladesh in 1994 for "hurting religious sentiments" with her novel "Lajja", Ms Nasreen took refuge in Kolkata in 2004. But after violent protests in the city November 2007, the erstwhile Left Front government whisked her away to New Delhi where she has been living since then.

"I am a Bengali writer but I am not allowed to stay in Bangladesh and West Bengal. I would be very happy if i am allowed to stay in Kolkata," she said today.

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Good that will piss owaisi brothers morepp

 

[amitkriit]

Good that will piss owaisi brothers morepp

That is the strategy

 

[SarthakGanguly]

Do you means that there is no religious extremism in India ?

Hell, there is tremendous religious extremism in India. Only that it is not encouraged by the Government.

How or when has she "hurt hindu sentiments", or written anything against hindus or hindusim?

Read her books for a change. I read the translated works - of My Childhood (Amor Mayebala or something in bengali). There is considerable complaint against all religions. But that's because she is a hardcore atheist. I dont agree with many of her views but she has the right to live in peace.

 

[Vinod2070]

She was NOT exiled for hurting 'religious sentiments'. She was exiled for hurting Muslim sentiments alone. She has written enough against Hindus as well, but no one ganged up to behead her.

In any case, good that she can live in peace.

Those are the only sentiments that seem to matter to our pseudo-secular brigade.

 

[indiatester]

Anyone knows why here application was reject just 2 days back and approved after meeting Rajnath?

 

[Sage]

Hell, there is tremendous religious extremism in India. Only that it is not encouraged by the Government.
DUhhhh ....The extremists are running the government in India nowadays

 

[Gautam]

I think she is the first Bangladeshi national to get the residential visa..... legally!

I think she is the first Bangladeshi national to get the residential visa..... legally!

 

[livingdead]

I think she is the first Bangladeshi national to get the residential visa..... legally!

I think she is the first Bangladeshi national to get the residential visa..... legally!

 

[historysheeter]

Anyone knows why here application was reject just 2 days back and approved after meeting Rajnath?

She showed her Indian Ration Card to Rajnath Singh and told him that if India does not give her permanent residence, she will contest the next assembly elections.

Good move by govt. to grant her visa. I will support if she is given Indian citizenship.
I also hope the govt. gives permanent visa to Sir V S Naipaul and his wife. He is being harassed by indian high comission because his wife is a muslim from Pakistan.

 

[ayesha.a]

Read her books for a change. I read the translated works - of My Childhood (Amor Mayebala or something in bengali). There is considerable complaint against all religions. But that's because she is a hardcore atheist. I dont agree with many of her views but she has the right to live in peace.

"For a change?" A change from what?

I have read most of her works (and columns), and I cannot recall any instance of her insulting hindus in particular, which is why I asked you. If you are aware of any such writings, do let me know.

And yes, she has the right to live in peace, even if she did insult hindus or muslims through her books. The GoI should grant her permanent residence or citizenship, if we want to claim a moral high ground over our neighbours regarding freedom of speech and expression. It was shameful that the govt in West Bengal and the central govt kept shifting her from one place to another, and refused to extend her visa. Yes she is safer in India than in Bangladesh or Pakistan, but are those the standards we should evaluate ourselves by?

Also, in your initial post, if you were suggesting that only people who insult muslims or islam get ill treated in India, you are plain wrong. MF Hussain had to live the last years of his life in exile, did he not? Banning Wendy Dorniger's book...there are plenty of examples where individual rights get curbed on the pretext that somebody's religious sentiments got hurt or will get hurt.