Lajja......

It is merely a coincidence that few people call Bangladesh's current situation and political turmoil as a second revolution from Sheik Hasina's tyranny of 15 years. She resigned and flew to India on August 5, 2024, to take temporary political shelter in India. I have started reading a novel called Lajja written by exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin. She has been in exile since 1993 for her bold writings. The first thing I comprehend from the read is that there is nothing in the novel to make her seek asylum in some other country and the book gets abundant in Bangladesh.  It was just a coincidence that the current event I read about riots in Bangladesh and the events written by Taslima in Lajja are symmetrical. The fundamentalists how they are and they were when it came to the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh remain the same. There are many reports in the news stating that minorities in Bangladesh face lots of issues during student movements against discrimination enforced by the quota system. I am not getting into further political or social commentary on the current affairs of Bangladesh. 

It is the story of a minority families and communities residing in Bangladesh. They struggle to find equal rights in a democratic setup. Despite immense contributions to the liberation war, these communities faced threats. Their houses were ransacked and looted, women raped, people killed, children became orphaned. The book perfectly analyses the causes and consequences behind the persecution of minorities by fundamentalists.  Minorities living in the country in a symbiotic society from the days of their fore-parents now suddenly found themself as aliens in their own nation. It is a fable of sacrifices and struggles.

The book ends with a note of seeking asylum in India the most secular place in Southeast Asia.  

The novel depicts the reasons for the decline in the population of minorities. Percucation is not the only reason for this decline. As per the recent article published in the Times of India, economic prospects that lead to migration are at the top of the list, but one can not ignore the factors behind this sharp decline. However, the book is a feast for the reader who wants to learn about Bangladesh and much-known controversial writer Taslina Nasrin. 

Good Read. 

Faith

Amol 

.