2nd Feb, 2012, Kolkata: Just after the controversy regarding Salman Rushdie’s absence from the Jaipur Literature Festival; now it is a fresh wave of controversy that took place in the Kolkata Book Fair, yesterday, regarding the release of exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin’s book ‘Nirbashan’, which means exile. Kolkata Book Fair organizers cancelled the book release saying that they had problems with the auditorium. Then the publisher unveiled the book among a small crowd at their own stall.
While speaking to a national daily, the author told that she had hopes for a better Bengal under the rule of Mamata Banerjee, but that had been smashed now. She told the daily that Mamata is soft on fundamentalists.
Yesterday, the author took on twitter to express his thoughts. She tweeted, “Kolkata Book Fair committee canceled my book release program today at Kolkata Book Fair. Why?Some religious fanatics don’t want it to happen…Kolkata,a city of progressive!A book release even w/o my presence not possible!All poltcial parties,all orgs afraid of fanatics!But how long”
Taslima Nasrin claimed on twitter that the police had arm-twisted the organizers of Kolkata book fair. The organizers told that the hall was not ready, but they later stated that the release of the book might have been a security threat.
