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RAW-2: Taslima Nasreen

Igor Siljanoski - 11/14/2005

Taslima Nasreen, the blasphemous and controversial writer from Bangladesh owes her sudden rise to fame and prominece to RAW. On instigation from RAW she has been writing novels and poems against Islam, morality and independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. Since many years RAW has been using her for spreading poisonous and preposterous material against Muslim culture. RAW's " love for Taslima N areen is indicated by conferring of an award by the Anandabazar Group of Calcutta, India, for her book 'Nirbichito Column'.

Knowledgeable circles disclosed that although the book on its merit did not deserve such recognition, the award was conferred on her due to RAW's recommendations. Some critics pointed out that Taslima in her said book had extensively copied from Sukumari Bhattacharjee's book 'Prachin Bharat: Samaj 0 Shahitya' (old Indian Society and Literature). At places Taslima even used similar words which were written by Sukumari Bhattacharjee. But instead of taking action against Taslima Nasreen for piracy, the Anadabazer Group honoured her by the award.

Many poets, writers and literary figures of West Bengal have vehemently protested against awarding Taslima Nasreen for her plagiarism. But the Anandabazer Group continues to patronize her. Obviously it would not have been possible without official patronage. The RAW's aim of doing the same was to establish Taslima Nasreen as a prolific writer to a literary person of substance so that her writings carry greater appeal.Taslima has been frequently writing against existence of Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign country. She openly preaches for merger of Bangladesh in India.

In many of her poems and other writings she unabashedly appeals for doing away with artificial boundaries of 1947 and regain the glory of undivided motherland.Her infamous novel 'Lajjya' was aimed at castigating Is1am and Muslim values in Bangladesh: The novel narrates the so saIled sufferings of an imaginary Hindu family in Bangladesh in the wake of demolition of Babri Mosque. It is intriguing. that she ignored plight of thousands of Muslims who were killed in riots in India. Instead she mlide false allegations against Muslims of Bangladesh, who have a good record of treatment of minorities. Infact, RAW had a deeper conspiracy in view while proposing to her to write the, said novel. Beside suggesting to her the novel's plot and characters,' RAW also provided her distorted 'statistics' for building up the story. The novel which was completed within two months was printed imd distributed under RAW's arrangements.

Many quartrers refuse to acknowledge that it is a genuine solo work of Taslima. They claim on the authority of inside sources that the final manuscript of the novel was shaped by some ghost Indian writers under supervision of RAW which was later published in the name of Taslima Nasreen.

The RAW's objectives for publishing 'Lajjya' are as follows:

a. To create hatred against Bangladeshi Muslims by projecting them as fanatics. Also to paint Bangladesh as a Muslim fundamentalist state.
b. To bring disrepute.to Islamic values and culture.
c. To raise the' demand for obliterating the map of Bangladesh and merge it with India on the ground that minority community (Hindu) is not safe in the country.
d. To hit economic interest of Bangladesh by presenting her as a Muslim fundamentalists country where rights of minorities are not safe. RAW hoped that after such adverse 'propaganda' donor countries may cut or reduce econoJllic aid to Bangladesh.
e. To promote civil unrest by creatftlg polarisation in the society. RAW knew that TasIima's uttering will be resented by Muslfm masses and will lead to establishment of two camps, one in favour of Taslima and the other against her.

The ones who support her will be termed as anti-religious by the other group. The polarisation between the two groups will lead to severe unrest and law and order situation in Bangladesh which may de-stabilize the Qovernment and the democratic system.After storm of protests all over the country the novel was banned in Bangladesh. However, its sale and distribution continued in West Bengal and other Indian states under patronage of RAW, BJP and other communal parties of India have been using the novel as an ammunition in their anti-Muslim campaign. Although RAW partially succeeded in achieving its other objectives, the economic assistance to Bangladesh was not affected due' to timely counter measures by Bangladesh Government.

Mr. Ashoke A. Biswas, a noted Indian analyst and research scholar commenting on RAW's involvement with Taslima said, "The latest examples of RAW's mischief has been the notorious discovery of Taslima Nasreen. This immoral, third rate writer was initially lionized by Calcutta media and then financed by RAW. Taslima's literary mentors in Calcutta encouraged her to challenge the fundamental tenets of Islam, knowing fully well that it would have an adverse reaction among devout Muslims. Here the plan of RAW was to create internal turmoil in Bangladesh as well as to arouse the western feminist and anti-fundamentalist lobby against Islam".

Taslima Nasreen is also notorious for immoral utterings. She preaches free sex and does not recognize the institution of marriage. She displays contempt for social values and cultural traditions on the ground that these hinder personal freedom. She argues in one of her writings that why should a woman be expected to bear the child of her husband alone. Why should she not conceive child of a man whom she loves even while married to another man? t'9bviously such writings, besides being provocative are against the tenets of Islam.

However, RAW undertakes to propagate and spread her works to spoil the moral fiber of Bangladesh's Muslim society. Taslima Nasreeneven dared to directly utter blasphemous words for The Quarn and its teachings. She stated il) an interview with a Calcutta daily in 1994, "The Quran should be re-written to suit the changed present day world" (Nauzubillah). Obviously the devout Muslims of Bangladesh, could not take this direct assault on Islam. Soon the entire country was up against her. In many places of the country protest meetings and demonstrations were held against her utterings demanding severe punishment for her. Some secular and pro-Indian elements tried to defend her initially but seeing public's fury, went quiet after a while. Sensing danger Taslima went under ground. On public's demand Government instituted a case against her under relevant law of the land.

RAW's game to earn Taslima fame and prominence was successful. Many organisations and governments of the western countries came forward to defend Taslimsa's right to freedom. of speech and expression. Even The US President Mr. Clinton spoke in favour of Taslima. The Government under international pressure was obliged to allow her to leave the country after staging bail from a court. She is now comfortably lodged in Europe from where she keeps uttering blasphemous statements with impunity.

The case of Taslima Nasreen provides good insight apout RAW's modus operanda and overall objectives. A person of mediocre literary potentials and dubious personal morals was helped to jockey to fame and riches as reward for furthering their cause.

However, RAW made a fundamental, rather fatal mistake in their assessment.They failed to correctly gauge the reaction of Bangladeshi masses-the common Muslims. Indeed the blasphemy issue helped Muslim forces in uniting on one platform to thwart Indian sponsored onslaught against Islam and Muslim values. Such unity could not have been possible in the ordinary course. Thus thanks to RAW and Taslima Nasreen, today's Bangladeshi Muslims are better prepared, united and determined than ever in the past, to fight conspiracies agaimn1Muslim identity of Bangladesh.