I just finished reading Selected Columns by Taslima Nasreen. This is the first time I read a book by the author. The book is a collection of some of her columns that appeared in a Bangladeshi newspaper. The columns were translated from Bengali to English by Debjani Sengupta.
Though I haven't read Taslima's controversial book - Lajja, after reading this book, I could not understand why there is such hue and cry about her writing. From my experiences, her writings accurately depict what every woman in the Indian subcontinent feels and faces in her life. Taslima raises questions that perhaps every educated woman tries to ignore everyday. She transcribes what perhaps every woman felt and felt ashamed to share. I suppose she is right, in a patriarchal society, even the voice of a woman needs to squashed for the men to continue to "rule", especially the voice against these very men.
The book makes me wonder once again why I still stay in this region and put up with all this. Perhaps one day I shall be free.
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2 comments:
It's surprising to know that an Indian girl staying in a Metro like Delhi, highly educated, financially independent also feels oppressed. What/Who really is the problem?
Is it really surprising? That's a surprise to me.
Oppression is not simply due to lack of education or of financial independence. It could also be due to the absence of an environment that lets thoughts flow freely or of a society where one is allowed to conduct oneself without fear, fear for one's life and well-being. So that is really the problem.
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