Sir/M'am, Taslima Nasreen has come to India believing India to be a free country with many writers, such as Arundhati Roy, able to express their views and comments on all manner of subjects. Her views on Islam or Hinduism or on any other subjects are not the issue. Freedom of expression by a sensitive and humane person is the first issue. She has been threatened with violence in Bangla Desh, a fundamentalist state, for expressing her views. She is a Bengali and loves the language and the regions where that language is spoken and written. I believe she loves Bangla Desh and West Bengal. Hence her preference to be in Kolkatta, if she is going to be killed Bangla Desh. Usual double-standards of the Marxist government in West Bengal, must have come to her as a great shock. It is not Indian tradition to play politics with someone who has sought our protection. This is the other issue. Our central government and the W.Bengal govt., are looking at the possible loss of some muslim votes if they are to extend basic freedoms to Tasleema. Unwilling to shut down the extremist trouble-makers who are hounding Tasleema they instead want to lock her up. Do any of us care for the truth ? Where is our Dharma? Where are all the Arundhati Roys, Teestas, Shobanas and Javeds, in terms of basic freedoms for Tasleema. A non-citizen living in India is not without rights. Indian authorities have to respect the rights Tasleema has under International Law. I personally feel, India would become a more
