Fooled us: Taslima Nasreen compares Delhi student protests with Bangladesh movement, issues warning

Kolkata: Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has reiterated her long-standing support for Uniform Civil Code (UCC), calling for its implementation in India and saying similar laws are also needed in Bangladesh and Pakistan to ensure equality, particularly for women.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Sunday, Nasreen said she had been campaigning for the Uniform Civil Code for the past 40 years and described it as essential for any civilised society.

"I have been fighting for the UCC for the past 40 years. This is much needed in any civilised country. Bangladesh, Pakistan and India need a Uniform Civil Code. There should be equal laws for everyone. Women face a great deal of discrimination, and much of it can be removed through a UCC. It is essential," she said.

Her remarks reiterate a position she has consistently maintained over the years. Speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2017, Nasreen had described the Uniform Civil Code as "urgently required" to empower people with human rights. She had also argued that all laws should be based on equality and justice rather than religion, and that Islamic societies needed to be more tolerant of criticism.

The latest remarks come as the West Bengal government has constituted a high-level committee to examine a draft Uniform Civil Code for the state. According to an official notification, the panel will undertake a comprehensive review of the proposed legislation before any further steps are taken.

Calls for equal rights in Bangladesh

Nasreen said equality remained the cornerstone of a civilised society, but many women in Bangladesh continued to face discrimination. Highlighting the issue of inheritance, she said Hindu women in Bangladesh do not enjoy equal property rights.

"In Bangladesh, Hindu women do not have equal rights. They cannot inherit their father's property. If Hindu women are to enjoy freedom and equal rights, a Uniform Civil Code is necessary," she said.

She had made similar observations in 2017, questioning why Hindu women in Bangladesh did not enjoy the freedoms available to their counterparts in India and arguing that all religions discriminate against women.

Bangladesh protests 'fooled us'

Nasreen also commented on the student movement that led to the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, saying the protests had "fooled us".

Drawing a parallel with the recent student protests in Delhi, she said she had not followed the agitation closely but that a short video clip reminded her of the July 2024 movement in Bangladesh.

"That student movement in Bangladesh fooled us. Because we thought the students wanted to abolish the quota system. Sheikh Hasina had also agreed to their demands, but ultimately the government fell. Later, we found that jihadis were behind that movement. The fallout has not been good for Bangladesh. Jihadis have taken over power there," she said.

Nasreen said the developments had reinforced her concerns and that the Bangladesh protests should serve as a lesson.

Return to Kolkata after 19 years

The 63-year-old writer returned to Kolkata on Saturday after nearly 19 years and was felicitated at a state government programme at Rabindra Sadan. She had left the city in 2007 after protests over the publication of her book Dwikhandito (Split: A Life) forced the then Left Front government to move her out of Kolkata.

She also expressed disappointment over disruptions during the felicitation ceremony after poet Joy Goswami was prevented from addressing the audience by a section of attendees.

Nasreen said Kolkata had always stood for freedom of expression and democratic values and hoped such incidents would not recur.

Forced to leave Bangladesh in 1994 after receiving death threats from Islamist groups over her writings and views on religion, Nasreen said her fight has always been for women's rights, equality and freedom of expression rather than for or against any political party.

 

(With PTI inputs)