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boipoka's review
2.0
Too much fact, too little fiction - the book is a compilation of atrocities the majority committed on the minorities of Bangladesh. The story of the Duttas play second fiddle to the author's desire of making a political statement. Not that I disagree with her sentiment, but I think a non-fiction would have suited the subject matter better.
I could easily sympathise with Suranjan's despair (my maternal grandparents fled Bangladesh, though they continued thinking of the lost lands as their 'desh', country, till they died), but also with Sudhamoy's naïveté and idealism (because I'm very similar).
But other than these two principals, none of the characters made an impression on me. Other than Kiran, none of the side characters even have a personality of their own! Overall, a below average novel. Only my deep sympathies with the two men and the poignant description of how Bangladeshis felt saved this book from a 1-star.
I could easily sympathise with Suranjan's despair (my maternal grandparents fled Bangladesh, though they continued thinking of the lost lands as their 'desh', country, till they died), but also with Sudhamoy's naïveté and idealism (because I'm very similar).
But other than these two principals, none of the characters made an impression on me. Other than Kiran, none of the side characters even have a personality of their own! Overall, a below average novel. Only my deep sympathies with the two men and the poignant description of how Bangladeshis felt saved this book from a 1-star.
booknbhook's review
4.0
My video review: https://youtu.be/eg0WqlJKiMQ
“Apparently peace is the ultimate goal of all religions but even at the end of this century we continue to see how religion is the cause of much strife, bloodshed and disgrace among human beings. Nothing but the flag of religion can crush human beings and humane emotions so completely.”
I read this book as part of #womenintranslation month,i.e, August.
I wasn’t able to pen down my thoughts properly so here are some pointers.
• Set in Bangladesh
• Sheds light on the riots that took place in Bangladesh post the demolition of Babri Masjid in India, and how Hindus were targeted.
• Also discusses what the minority of Bangladesh,i.e, Hindus faced during various historic events such as the birth of Bangladesh.
• Very detailed description of violence
• The author has given supportive evidence in the form of exact numbers of deaths and destruction for every event that happened.
• The author has pointed out every possible facet of life where discrimination is faced by the minorities.
• It is a very heavy book which leaves you heartbroken and disturbed a number of times. (Not for the faint hearted)
I do recommend this book to understand why politics and religion are the worse cocktail ever!
“Apparently peace is the ultimate goal of all religions but even at the end of this century we continue to see how religion is the cause of much strife, bloodshed and disgrace among human beings. Nothing but the flag of religion can crush human beings and humane emotions so completely.”
I read this book as part of #womenintranslation month,i.e, August.
I wasn’t able to pen down my thoughts properly so here are some pointers.
• Set in Bangladesh
• Sheds light on the riots that took place in Bangladesh post the demolition of Babri Masjid in India, and how Hindus were targeted.
• Also discusses what the minority of Bangladesh,i.e, Hindus faced during various historic events such as the birth of Bangladesh.
• Very detailed description of violence
• The author has given supportive evidence in the form of exact numbers of deaths and destruction for every event that happened.
• The author has pointed out every possible facet of life where discrimination is faced by the minorities.
• It is a very heavy book which leaves you heartbroken and disturbed a number of times. (Not for the faint hearted)
I do recommend this book to understand why politics and religion are the worse cocktail ever!
bookspied's review
4.0
“Riots are not natural calamities, nor disasters, so to speak. They are simply a perversion of humanity”
I believe the message and motto of this beautiful beautiful book is summed up in this sentence.
Before I started reading this book, I had been told by a lot of people that this book is shattering, heart breaking and sad. I did not believe them until I read it myself. I finished this book on 26th March which is ironically the same day when Bangladesh became an indipendente nation back in 1971.
The book is set in December,1992. When a few communists demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya,India. This had caused riots not only in almost every state of India, but in Bangladesh as well. Bangladesh where Hindus live as a minority. The impact on the life of hindus in Bangladesh of riots is something unexplainable.
The story just Thirteen (you read it right. THIRTEEN ) days in the life of a Dutta family, Hindus in Bangladesh and I am sure you would want it to end soon. You will not even be able to bear those thirteen days, it’s that heart shattering.
The journey is so so so hard to even imagine that this must have happened to someone knowing that this work of fiction could possibly be a part of someone’s life, you would shut the book countless times to digest what you have just read but re-open it again because the author has written it with humanity filled in each and every word that you would not want to put it down unfinished.
Apart from the writing style and the empathy for people in writers heart, what I absolutely adored was that our protagonist was full of flaws. I could relate to the way he reacted to certain events, I could understand why he behaved in a way and why he had certain way of responding to all that was happening in his life. I believe almost everyone my age would relate with him.
The events that will occur in the book are shameful and the author is courageous enough for giving this words.
There are databases of events, rather riots happened in different parts of the country, I bet you won’t be able to read. Your heart will go for those people. The political events and what impact does it make on your day to day life, the fact that you belong to minority.
This is one of the most controversial novel and by now I guess you all know why. It’s our responsibility as a reader to not form an opinion about a community or a country based on anything. The novel in no way puts one community down while lifting other. It’s book about humanity and one should read it, evaluate it and recommend it, keeping only humanity in mind and not anything else.
As the author says
Flying the flag of religion has always proved the easiest way to crush to nothingness human beings, as well as the spirit of humanity
It was the distinctions of name, caste, creed and religion that had spoilt the relationship between man & man
The point and thought the authors wanted to share through the book is
If there is anyone who has the power to save you, it is your people who have decided to submerge their differences of caste and creed and be as one
The novel is written in Bengali so the translator gets his own applaud for the job he has done.
I absolutely loved the book and recommend it. But kindly read it only keeping humanity in mind. Nobody is trying to put anybody or a community down. And on that note, I would like to quote what the author has said before the book started and has communicated through each and every word in the book:
Let Another Name for Religion be Humanism
I rate it 4 ⭐️ because the end was abrupt to me and would like to share that after almost 25-26 years, the author is back with the sequel I am pretty sure to be an amazing read. It is releasing in May in India named Shameless. I can’t wait. Yay.
I believe the message and motto of this beautiful beautiful book is summed up in this sentence.
Before I started reading this book, I had been told by a lot of people that this book is shattering, heart breaking and sad. I did not believe them until I read it myself. I finished this book on 26th March which is ironically the same day when Bangladesh became an indipendente nation back in 1971.
The book is set in December,1992. When a few communists demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya,India. This had caused riots not only in almost every state of India, but in Bangladesh as well. Bangladesh where Hindus live as a minority. The impact on the life of hindus in Bangladesh of riots is something unexplainable.
The story just Thirteen (you read it right. THIRTEEN ) days in the life of a Dutta family, Hindus in Bangladesh and I am sure you would want it to end soon. You will not even be able to bear those thirteen days, it’s that heart shattering.
The journey is so so so hard to even imagine that this must have happened to someone knowing that this work of fiction could possibly be a part of someone’s life, you would shut the book countless times to digest what you have just read but re-open it again because the author has written it with humanity filled in each and every word that you would not want to put it down unfinished.
Apart from the writing style and the empathy for people in writers heart, what I absolutely adored was that our protagonist was full of flaws. I could relate to the way he reacted to certain events, I could understand why he behaved in a way and why he had certain way of responding to all that was happening in his life. I believe almost everyone my age would relate with him.
The events that will occur in the book are shameful and the author is courageous enough for giving this words.
There are databases of events, rather riots happened in different parts of the country, I bet you won’t be able to read. Your heart will go for those people. The political events and what impact does it make on your day to day life, the fact that you belong to minority.
This is one of the most controversial novel and by now I guess you all know why. It’s our responsibility as a reader to not form an opinion about a community or a country based on anything. The novel in no way puts one community down while lifting other. It’s book about humanity and one should read it, evaluate it and recommend it, keeping only humanity in mind and not anything else.
As the author says
Flying the flag of religion has always proved the easiest way to crush to nothingness human beings, as well as the spirit of humanity
It was the distinctions of name, caste, creed and religion that had spoilt the relationship between man & man
The point and thought the authors wanted to share through the book is
If there is anyone who has the power to save you, it is your people who have decided to submerge their differences of caste and creed and be as one
The novel is written in Bengali so the translator gets his own applaud for the job he has done.
I absolutely loved the book and recommend it. But kindly read it only keeping humanity in mind. Nobody is trying to put anybody or a community down. And on that note, I would like to quote what the author has said before the book started and has communicated through each and every word in the book:
Let Another Name for Religion be Humanism
I rate it 4 ⭐️ because the end was abrupt to me and would like to share that after almost 25-26 years, the author is back with the sequel I am pretty sure to be an amazing read. It is releasing in May in India named Shameless. I can’t wait. Yay.
thisdivinelight's review
3.0
I think there is so much that gets lost in translation when you read something that's been translated to english - and that was my first impression from this book. Also, in a post 9/11 world, a book about communalism and religion induced violence doesn't make the same impact that it would have in the 1990s - we are so inured to stories of violence, rape and genocide that the chronicling of mankind's atrocities on mankind doesn't hit us hard enough - that's sad and not as it ought to be but it is the truth.
I couldn't see why this book elicited such a vehement response from the mullahs and religious clerics - enough for it to be banned in Bangladesh and 5 Indian states until I reminded myself that the 90s were a different time altogether and that there would have been political forces at work wanting to cover up the persecution of non muslims in a predominantly muslim nation. Ofcourse, the world has moved on from there and such news as described in the book is commonplace.
The true crux of the story and its poignancy lies in the fact that a nation is a nation irrespective of religion - a national identity cannot be defined on religious tenets and a Hindu or a Christian or Buddhist born on Bangladeshi soil is as much a Bangladeshi as a Muslim. But to a country intent on hiding its true communal agenda behind a veil of secularism , this book must've been tge ultimate tell all and the author a pariah and a traitor.
Recommended if you can read in the right context.
I couldn't see why this book elicited such a vehement response from the mullahs and religious clerics - enough for it to be banned in Bangladesh and 5 Indian states until I reminded myself that the 90s were a different time altogether and that there would have been political forces at work wanting to cover up the persecution of non muslims in a predominantly muslim nation. Ofcourse, the world has moved on from there and such news as described in the book is commonplace.
The true crux of the story and its poignancy lies in the fact that a nation is a nation irrespective of religion - a national identity cannot be defined on religious tenets and a Hindu or a Christian or Buddhist born on Bangladeshi soil is as much a Bangladeshi as a Muslim. But to a country intent on hiding its true communal agenda behind a veil of secularism , this book must've been tge ultimate tell all and the author a pariah and a traitor.
Recommended if you can read in the right context.
vipinsirigiri's review
3.0
The book talks about Dattas - a Hindu family living in Bangladesh, facing the after effects of muslim violence due to Babri Masjid demolition in India. The story brilliantly shows the transformation of a liberation war veteran father convincing to flee his own country, his wife forgoing Hindu customs and practices, his communist/atheist son turning communal and his daughter abducted and missing. The pages could've been cut in a quarter if not for the long list of names of temples burnt, shops razed, people killed - described frequently and at a go. It became annoying at times with chapters just describing this newspapery list and had something related to story only towards the end!
lydia_bookfanatique's review
4.0
" Let another name for religion be humanitarianism "
Lajja is a historical non fiction book set in Dhaka Bangladesh. It follows a hindu family in the aftermath of the infamous demolition of Babri Masjid in India. It is based on the fictious Dutta family of Sudhamoy and Kiranmoyee and their children Suranjan and Maya.
On Dec 6th 1992 Babri Masjid was demolished by a group of fundamentalists in India. The result was widespread rioting and killing in Bangaldesh. Hindu families were looted, women raped in broad daylight, houses were set on fire , temples were looted and burnt, thus marking a mass exodus of Hindus from Bangaldesh to India.
But the one question that remains relevant throughout the book is ,
why is a hindu in Bangladesh blamed for troubles visted on Muslims in India by their Hindu countrymen ?
Why does one event change the idea of Bangaldeshi to Hindu and Muslim ?
Why do citizens have to bear the brunt of inhumane actions of another country ?
Where does the sense of nationalism go when it comes to matters of religion? "
Simply based on religion an entire community was alienated in their homeland. When countrymen are perceived through the lens of religion, the sense of nationalism disappears.
Ironically, all religions point towards peace yet it is in the name of religion there is so much unrest and violence in the world.
So is religion the problem? No. It's the fundamentalists that exist in every religious community that is the root cause of all problems. These set of humans push their hateful ideologies to satisfy their own political interest. They use impressionable people to satisfy their need for power. After all to them it's a vote bank , paid for by lives.
Therefore it is an important read , one that opens your eyes to true nationalism. Where exists a democracy untainted by religion, democracy in its truest sense. It urges us to never let the seeds of religious hatred take root in our soil.
Lajja is a historical non fiction book set in Dhaka Bangladesh. It follows a hindu family in the aftermath of the infamous demolition of Babri Masjid in India. It is based on the fictious Dutta family of Sudhamoy and Kiranmoyee and their children Suranjan and Maya.
On Dec 6th 1992 Babri Masjid was demolished by a group of fundamentalists in India. The result was widespread rioting and killing in Bangaldesh. Hindu families were looted, women raped in broad daylight, houses were set on fire , temples were looted and burnt, thus marking a mass exodus of Hindus from Bangaldesh to India.
But the one question that remains relevant throughout the book is ,
why is a hindu in Bangladesh blamed for troubles visted on Muslims in India by their Hindu countrymen ?
Why does one event change the idea of Bangaldeshi to Hindu and Muslim ?
Why do citizens have to bear the brunt of inhumane actions of another country ?
Where does the sense of nationalism go when it comes to matters of religion? "
Simply based on religion an entire community was alienated in their homeland. When countrymen are perceived through the lens of religion, the sense of nationalism disappears.
Ironically, all religions point towards peace yet it is in the name of religion there is so much unrest and violence in the world.
So is religion the problem? No. It's the fundamentalists that exist in every religious community that is the root cause of all problems. These set of humans push their hateful ideologies to satisfy their own political interest. They use impressionable people to satisfy their need for power. After all to them it's a vote bank , paid for by lives.
Therefore it is an important read , one that opens your eyes to true nationalism. Where exists a democracy untainted by religion, democracy in its truest sense. It urges us to never let the seeds of religious hatred take root in our soil.
deepanshi's review
3.0
*my personal opinion*
To be honest, my whole enthusiasm to read this book got dampened when I read a paragraph, which said, " in the end, they were killed. Sudhamoy had seen many Muslim prisoners being released after beatings but he had never seen a single hindu being let go."
-> these are my very personal opinions and they're totally subjective.
I might be wrong as well but this sentence literally pissed me off to an extend I could have never dreamt of. I understand Taslima had faced many things in the past (and is still facing) due to her social activities and works but I personally feel this sentence instigated something - something related to communism, something against a complete community! I didn't like the context of this sentence at all!
Now let's move on to the real thing. Lajja by Taslima Nasrin is an extraordinary story of the Dutta family (Sudhamoy , Kironmoyee, Sudhamoy and Maya) who's life got destroyed as a repercussion of an attack on Babri masjid in India. The Datta family lived in Bangladesh from start and we're truely patriotic! They loved their country and never dreamt of leaving it for anything. But on an unfortunate day, communal attacked Babri masjid in India and riots broke out in Bangladesh as well as a reflex and Hindus livin' in Bangladesh were brutally abused, attacked, women and girls were rapes and taken away, killed, temples, houses and shops belonging to Hindus were brought down to ashes. The situation was horrifying. As a consequence , an uninvited trouble knocked the door of the Duttas' which they never expected.
Except the sentence I quoted before, everything was so heart-wrenching (which we as readers love). I was completely submerged in the plot, it was so realistic ( it was actually but the storytelling made it way more realistic) . Throughout we find true accounts of what'd happened in Bangladesh actually but Taslima beautifully crafts that into a way better and more realistic story.
The book savagely reflects the repercussions of communal agenda for personal benifits, religion extremism, and it, of course, beautifully brings forward how the government failed to bring in peace.
To be honest, my whole enthusiasm to read this book got dampened when I read a paragraph, which said, " in the end, they were killed. Sudhamoy had seen many Muslim prisoners being released after beatings but he had never seen a single hindu being let go."
-> these are my very personal opinions and they're totally subjective.
I might be wrong as well but this sentence literally pissed me off to an extend I could have never dreamt of. I understand Taslima had faced many things in the past (and is still facing) due to her social activities and works but I personally feel this sentence instigated something - something related to communism, something against a complete community! I didn't like the context of this sentence at all!
Now let's move on to the real thing. Lajja by Taslima Nasrin is an extraordinary story of the Dutta family (Sudhamoy , Kironmoyee, Sudhamoy and Maya) who's life got destroyed as a repercussion of an attack on Babri masjid in India. The Datta family lived in Bangladesh from start and we're truely patriotic! They loved their country and never dreamt of leaving it for anything. But on an unfortunate day, communal attacked Babri masjid in India and riots broke out in Bangladesh as well as a reflex and Hindus livin' in Bangladesh were brutally abused, attacked, women and girls were rapes and taken away, killed, temples, houses and shops belonging to Hindus were brought down to ashes. The situation was horrifying. As a consequence , an uninvited trouble knocked the door of the Duttas' which they never expected.
Except the sentence I quoted before, everything was so heart-wrenching (which we as readers love). I was completely submerged in the plot, it was so realistic ( it was actually but the storytelling made it way more realistic) . Throughout we find true accounts of what'd happened in Bangladesh actually but Taslima beautifully crafts that into a way better and more realistic story.
The book savagely reflects the repercussions of communal agenda for personal benifits, religion extremism, and it, of course, beautifully brings forward how the government failed to bring in peace.
zararah's review
2.0
I was disappointed not to enjoy this anywhere near as much as I thought I would. There were two main problems I had with it: firstly, the stilted and unrealistic dialogue - characters speak in what comes across as recitations from newspapers articles, quoting facts and figures at each other in long monologues. Second, the character of Suronjon, the son of the family - I can't remember the last time I disliked a character so much, and I'm not entirely sure that was the author's intention. Without giving too much away, his level of self-absorption coupled with the glowing way that everyone treats him, was so annoying to me.
veenasoujanya's review
3.0
Lajja is the story of a Bengali Hindu family in Bangladesh who becomes a victim of the communal riots raised due to the destruction of Babri Masjid in India. The novel is less story and more a detail documented list of both material and human slaughter. The author presents before you a record of the bloodshed with dates, places and names which make you feel as though you are going through a report rather than a novel. This actually spoils the style of a novel but the honest declaration truly moves you. In fact the book coming from a Muslim woman also adds to the mood. The wasting of life in the name of religion is portrayed in the work but it never gets preachy or offers a solution. I feel we should call it a more documented report rather than a novel. But I personally think the work should be appreciated as an honest emotion towards the minority Hindu community in an Islamic country by a woman of the majority community. This shows religion do not matter for reaction, you just need to be Human.