Taslima bows, removes touchy text in her book

PAGED OUT: Publishers of Dwikhandito will leave out the controversial pages as per Taslima's wish.

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Keywords: West Bengal Government, Dwikhandito

New Delhi: Two days after the government allowed her to stay on in India, controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen withdrew the lines from her book, Dwikhondito. The lines were thought to be anti-Islamic.

“I have done what I have never done in my life. I have compromised even in a secular India,” Taslima said.

Taslima got in touch with her publisher Shibani Mukherjee of the People's Book Society on Friday and told her that she wanted certain lines in her second autobiographical book. She also asked Mukherjee not to circulate copies of the book that were in their possession.

"I asked my publisher to bring out the next edition of the book deleting those controversial lines", she said.

"We will withdraw 30 to 40 copies, already in circulation, from the market and in the next edition we will delete three controversial pages of the book", she added.

Dwikhondito was banned by the Bengal government in November 26, 2003 but the Koltatta High Court lifted the ban after 22 months.

Taslima’s supporters in Kolkata including those of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights are upset with her decision.

She has reportedly told friends in Kolkata that the lines had to be withdrawn to stop the tension and she believes the trouble will be over now.

"I am withdrawing controversial lines in Dwikhandita, written in 2002 with the memory of Bangladesh in the 1980s when military threw out secularism in the country. I wrote the book in support of the people who defended secular values. I had no intention to hurt anybody's sentiment," Taslima told her friends over the phone.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi also chose to tread safe on the author's decision to delete controversial portions from her book.

“We have learnt about Taslima's statement about excursion. Any decision that is taken for the peace and harmony of the country is always welcomed. This is taken with a positive attitude. The riots matter is a subjudice matter, under active CBI Investigation. The political parties cannot comment on it,” said Singhvi.

The controversial writer has hoped that from now on there will be no controversy as she wants “to be able to live peacefully” in India.

Taslima was virtually hounded out of Kolkata earlier following large-scale violence during a strike called by the All India Minority Forum, a platform of minorities, demanding cancellation of her visa.

Shortly after the violence for which the army had to be called out, Taslima went to Jaipur from where she was moved to Delhi. At present the writer is staying in a safe house of the union government.