Politics

A Small Victory for Islamic Conservatives, A Giant Defeat for Indian Secularism

By Dweep Chanana ⋅ November 23, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅ Post a comment

The BBC has just reported that Taslima Nasreen, the Bangladeshi author at the heart of Kolkata’s riots, has been escorted out of the city, following a demand by Kolkata police that she leave the city.

This is a tragedy of colossal proportions, akin to Modi’s support of the Godhara riots. But the biggest tragedy in simply that the country’s moderate Hindus and Muslims remain silent - again. The words of anti-Nazi pastor Martin Niemöller come to mind:

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

A longer version of this article appears on Desicritics.org.

Tags: islam, religion, secularism, South Asia