The shocking news of the house arrest of noted writer Taslima Nasreen is a matter of shame for the UPA government, especially in a country that proudly propounds the age old philosophy of "Athithi Devo Bhawa". It is even more shocking that for the sake of their political survival and acting completely under pressure from the CPM, the central government has gone ahead and conveyed to Taslima that she cannot go back to Kolkata, a city that she loves. This has thrown up an extremely relevant and important question as to how a victim of persecution is being treated by a civilized state in which the victim has sought refuge as an assalym. Taslima is a victim of religious persecution in Bangladesh. She is now a refugee in India. To begin with the CPM government forcibly ejected her from Kolkata under the pressure from Islamic fundamentalists. Thereafter, the central government is carrying out further persecution since fellow traveling with the CPM and fundamentalists protects their survival and also wins vote banks. The BJP would like to remind the UPA central government and CPM state government that we are nmo longer living under the emergency rule of 1975 in which the then attorney general had infamously had the audacity to state that "nobody has right to life if government wishes so".

The BJP in the strongest possible terms condemns the UPA and CPM for their dismal display of conduct in Taslima episode, which clearly establishes their complete submission to Islamic fundamentalists; a continuation of their known behaviour since the days of the Shahbano case and following the policy of rank opportunism for mere political survival and vote bank politics. The BJP demands that the UPA government should ensure the freedom of movment, provide safety and just treatment to Taslima and allow her to follow her wishes.

The CPM's attack on the BJP in their mouthpiece People's democracy is a sign of the growing insecurity amongst its leadership and cadres. They have falsely charged the BJP of going back to basics of aggressive communal poloralisation. This precisely reflects the complete insecurity and frustration of the CPM, in face of the growing popularity of the BJP. What the country has witnessed in Nandigram and in the Taslima case is a clear proof of the CPM going back to its basics of Stalinism. The recent revelation and video footage has clearly unmasked the CPM cadres in masks, in brutal attack on Nandigram. It is not just a clear indication of state complicity but a clear proof of state sponsored terrorism. The use of terms like "Recapture of Nandigram" and "Celebrating the victory in Nandigram" speaks volume of the CPM mindset. The BJP asks what the CPM cadres were celebrating? Were they celebrating the rape of innocent women? Were they celebrating loot and arson? Were they celebrating the murder of protestors and unearthing of skeletons? Were they celebrating continued Stalinist terrorism? It is not surprising that the CPM is not worried about human rights violations and continued terrorism in Nandigram but is instead only worried about how the CBI report got leaked.

The BJP is also amused to note the Prime Minister has finally acknowledged the leftwing extremism of Naxals is growing and their base has enlarged. It is the Congress politics, which is responsible for such an enlargement in Naxalism. They allegedly entered into political understanding with these outfits on the eve of election in Andhra and Chhattisgarh. Subsequently the Congress government in Andhra declared ceasefire, which proved a golden opportunity for Naxals to regroup, reinforce and spread its tentacles. The central government discontinued the co-ordinated action plan and working group arrangement initiated by the NDA to tackle Naxals despite its success. The BJP demands that instead of mere statements, the government must display the resolve and follow it up with a specific action plan to conclusively combat and defeat naxalism across the country.

(Shyam Jaju)
Office Incharge