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A review by misspalah
Lajja: Shame by Taslima Nasrin
5.0
“Ironically, all religions point towards one goal - peace. Yet it is in the name of religion that there has been so much unrest and lack of peace. So much blood that has been shed and so many people have sufferred. It is indeed a pity that even at the close of the twentieth century we’ve had to witness such atrocities, all in the name of religion. Flying the flag of the religion has always proved the easiest way to crush to nothingness human beings, as well as the the spirit of humanity”.
- Lajja, Taslima Nasrin.
.
.
First of all, Kudos to Taslima Nasrin for writing this novel to highlight the injustice that has been done towards Hindus Minority in Bangladesh after the demolition of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992. Despite having no connection with the VHP, the BJP and 150,000 volunteers (kar sevaks) aside from having the same religion, they have been enduring religious persecution and genocide. I am not surprised to know that After Lajja was published, many Islamic fundamentalists has threatened her life and she was forced to exile her own country and escaped to Sweden. For those who are not familiar with Babri Mosque History, the dispute has begun since the 19th century. Both Hindus and Muslims claimed that it belonged to them. For Hindus, the mosque previously built on the pre-existing temple land and For Muslims, because it was built in 1528 by general Mir Baqi, on the orders of the Mughal emperor Babur. Despite government intervention and order, none managed to stop what happened to Babri Mosque in 1992. This alone sparked a series of communal violence across Indian subcontinent which brought us to the main characters , The Duttas (Sudhamoy, Kironmoyee, Suranjan and Maya) in Bangladesh.
.
.
The book itself was not an easy read. Taslima held nothing back in her writing. Although it was fictional but all the incidents and statisticsl description is real. In chapter 2 alone, Sudhamoy recalled for about 4 pages of real life events of what his community has endured being a minority in his own country. Rape, murder, land takeover, forced exile, you named it, everything was in the list. The same format is repeated by Suranjan, when he recalled how many Hindu temples has been destroyed in communal violence across Bangladesh. All of this is written in details manner as to educate the readers that this has been going for years and no one bats an eye on it. The resemblance of how post 9/11 treated muslims all over the world is similar to what Babri Mosque Demolition done to Hindu Minority across Indian Subcontinent is uncanny. Dicrimination, Racism and Hate crime is simply part of the baggage one must carry due to which religion they belonged to. Before i forget, I would like to thank the translator, Tutul Gupta for translating this gem from Bengali to English. There’s no awkward transition while reading this, at least not that i know of.
.
.
The plot for the book is simple but impactful, brilliant but heart wrenching. It explored the Dutta’s perspectives which is via Sudhamoy , Kironmonyee, Suranjan and Maya. Sudhamoy voices brought us into his own experience, from Bangladesh Independence from Pakistan, Bengali Identity and his undying love and loyalty to his own country. Despite being pushed to move around due to his religion, he is so adamant in staying and possibly die in Bangladesh. Suranjan, on the other hands, grew up among muslims, has a muslim friends and even muslim lover. He sees no differences among his friends and refused to worship the idols. However, Babri Mosque Demolition changed something in him and the way he looked everyone around him. Alternately, Kironmoyee yearned to be reunited with her family in India but decided to obey her husband and stayed in Bangladesh. Maya, on the other hands, saw the true color of her own best friend, Parul when she decided to hide there when people are rioting and hunting the hindus post the Babri Mosque incident. All voices stood out on their own narrating their experience as a second class citizens in their own country.
- Lajja, Taslima Nasrin.
.
.
First of all, Kudos to Taslima Nasrin for writing this novel to highlight the injustice that has been done towards Hindus Minority in Bangladesh after the demolition of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992. Despite having no connection with the VHP, the BJP and 150,000 volunteers (kar sevaks) aside from having the same religion, they have been enduring religious persecution and genocide. I am not surprised to know that After Lajja was published, many Islamic fundamentalists has threatened her life and she was forced to exile her own country and escaped to Sweden. For those who are not familiar with Babri Mosque History, the dispute has begun since the 19th century. Both Hindus and Muslims claimed that it belonged to them. For Hindus, the mosque previously built on the pre-existing temple land and For Muslims, because it was built in 1528 by general Mir Baqi, on the orders of the Mughal emperor Babur. Despite government intervention and order, none managed to stop what happened to Babri Mosque in 1992. This alone sparked a series of communal violence across Indian subcontinent which brought us to the main characters , The Duttas (Sudhamoy, Kironmoyee, Suranjan and Maya) in Bangladesh.
.
.
The book itself was not an easy read. Taslima held nothing back in her writing. Although it was fictional but all the incidents and statisticsl description is real. In chapter 2 alone, Sudhamoy recalled for about 4 pages of real life events of what his community has endured being a minority in his own country. Rape, murder, land takeover, forced exile, you named it, everything was in the list. The same format is repeated by Suranjan, when he recalled how many Hindu temples has been destroyed in communal violence across Bangladesh. All of this is written in details manner as to educate the readers that this has been going for years and no one bats an eye on it. The resemblance of how post 9/11 treated muslims all over the world is similar to what Babri Mosque Demolition done to Hindu Minority across Indian Subcontinent is uncanny. Dicrimination, Racism and Hate crime is simply part of the baggage one must carry due to which religion they belonged to. Before i forget, I would like to thank the translator, Tutul Gupta for translating this gem from Bengali to English. There’s no awkward transition while reading this, at least not that i know of.
.
.
The plot for the book is simple but impactful, brilliant but heart wrenching. It explored the Dutta’s perspectives which is via Sudhamoy , Kironmonyee, Suranjan and Maya. Sudhamoy voices brought us into his own experience, from Bangladesh Independence from Pakistan, Bengali Identity and his undying love and loyalty to his own country. Despite being pushed to move around due to his religion, he is so adamant in staying and possibly die in Bangladesh. Suranjan, on the other hands, grew up among muslims, has a muslim friends and even muslim lover. He sees no differences among his friends and refused to worship the idols. However, Babri Mosque Demolition changed something in him and the way he looked everyone around him. Alternately, Kironmoyee yearned to be reunited with her family in India but decided to obey her husband and stayed in Bangladesh. Maya, on the other hands, saw the true color of her own best friend, Parul when she decided to hide there when people are rioting and hunting the hindus post the Babri Mosque incident. All voices stood out on their own narrating their experience as a second class citizens in their own country.