The South Asian: Indian Writers, Artist Rally for Taslima

January 05, 2008

Indian Writers, Artist Rally for Taslima

Writers and artists gathered to protest West Bengal Government's treatment of Taslima Nasreen, despite a High Court Order that her novel was breaking no laws, in what reeks of communal appeasement and male chauvinism. More importantly, the state decided to prosecute the fundamental right to expression.

A procession from the Academy of Fine Arts to the Esplanade metro channel (Nandigram mancha) by artists, actors, poets and other intellectuals demanding the release of Taslima Nasreen from her virtual detention incommunicado, in mid-December, was followed by a largely attended meeting at the Mahabodhi Society hall on the evening of January 2, 2008, which raised the same demand as well as the demand for her return to West Bengal. The meeting was presided over by Mahasweta Devi, and was convened by Sankha Ghosh, the poet, Amlan Datta, economist, Aparna Sen, actor and film director, Sujato Bhadra, human rights activist, Dipankar Chakraborti, editor, Meher Engineer, scientist, and other leaders of civil society in the state.

The heavy hand of the executive had fallen on her and she was being coerced into silence because the High Court in Kolkata had in its ruling against censorship of Taslima's novel "Dwikhandita" made it clear that she was breaking no laws . What was left to the state and central governments was blackmail over her visa.

A notable feature of the meeting was the address by Kripa Choubey, writer in Hindi, who gave an account of how writers in Hindi all over the country were protesting against the treatment being meted out to Taslima Nasreen.

Speakers made the point that the way the West Bengal government bundled Taslima out was dictated by communal considerations. From Nanoor to Nandigram, a significant proportion of the victims of the WB government's land grab policy in favour of big investors were Muslim peasants. The intolerable encroachment made by Kolkata police bigwigs into the private life of Rizwanur Rahman, which led to his death, also infuriated the Muslim community. The expulsion of Taslima was a communal manouevre to appease the bigots in the community in exchange for their support in garnering Muslim votes.

It was said in the meeting that just as there was the right to pursue the religion of one's choice, democracy also conferred the right to criticise religion. Apart from the government there was criticism in the meeting of the roles of a section of the Muslim clerics, too.

Two points need discussion.

Criticism of the theoretical tenets and concrete practices of any religious community is usually counter-productive if it comes from outside the community. The religious leaders can sway the community to resist the external ''enemy.'' The criticism must arise from within the community. Well-wishers from outside the community would do well to bear this in mind.

The ferocity of the attack on Taslima both from within the minority community and from outside, and the heartlessness of the state and central government's dealing of her case arise not only from religious fundamentalism and its appeasement but from another equally objectionable direction. Male dominated society and communities cannot stomach Taslima's writings against male chauvinism. The reason why she is considered so dangerous a person by the fundamentalists and the governments in Bangladesh is because she, a wronged woman herself, has exposed the reality of what it is to be a woman in that country. They are afraid of women reading her works and gaining insight and the courage to resist. Similar is the reason why she is being relentlessly hounded by bigots of the minority community as well as powerful people of the majority community -- they resent her exposure of their gender exploitation.

Taslima richly deserves our support and is in dire need of our intervention, not only as a persecuted person, but also on account of the issues at stake.

Dipanjan Rai Chaudhuri

4.1.08

Posted by collective at January 05, 2008 09:50 AM

Comments

Respected Sir/Madam ,

I am Arka Prava Bandyopadhyay , B.Maths topper, Indian Statistical Institute , Bangalore , India . I crave your hospitality to ventilate a burning problem which I have been facing for last 14 months that has ruined my life .

Prof. TSSRK Rao with his hoard is after my life and wants to detain my journey to USA for Ph.D in Mathematics which I am the sole person capable of from this institution . His intention is to hype another student ISSAN PATRI ( His friends ward) who is inferior to me .

I was the only student from ISI Bangalore to be sent to Tata Institute of Fundamental Research for VSRP ( Visiting Students' Research Programme ) by recommendations from other team of professors (Prof. B.Sury and Prof. Rajaram Bhatt ) and there I have done some original research which is about to be published in a journal in USA . But , when I returned from TIFR , I understood that Prof. TSSRK Rao has made arrangement for my detention . He had informed me that I had failed in his subject which he did not show me the paper and forced me to sit for a back-paper . That day while returning to Bangalore , I suffered from fever , got medical treatment and the next day morning without preparing for the paper , he forced me to sit for the exam to become successful in his plan . Before this , I had to inform my widow mother to leave alone my younger sister ( who was having her final examinations ) and come to Bangalore whence she had asked Prof.Rao so that she may be allowed to have a look at all the papers in that semester including the paper which Prof. Rao had claimed that I had failed in . Prof. TSSRK Rao had told my mother : " You won't be able to understand the papers , in reply of which my mother had asserted that she was a highly qualified lady . " Still , he did not allow my mother to look at my copies . My mother then saw him going to the next room and speaking to Prof. Inamdar over phone : " Don't show her the copies " . In that Back Paper , there were 10 questions each carrying 10 marks of which I had attempted all , whence I had received 26/100 ; whereas another student of my batch Luv Kumar answered only 4 questions and was given full marks in all 4 questions and made to pass . The questions in the Back Paper were out of norms . Proofs of entire theorems were strictly not to be asked in the exam , but two entire theorems were being asked to prove .

In that semester , 20 % of the classes were taken . This was the dedications of the professors there . I was mostly ill in the time classes were going on . So , I had to read from the prescribed books and had written in the exam . All my batchmates had received marks around 40-50 in that paper . Whereas , ISSAN Patri ( Prof. TSSRK Rao's friend's ward ) had received 90 along with a girl called Vaidehee Madhav Thatte ( who had done a summer course with him ) . It is an open secret in ISI Bangalore that Vaidehee Madhav Thatte used stay in the same room with Prasit Bhattacharya and Prof. TSSRK Rao and Prof. Inamdar were in full support of this episode and my mother protested , the reply to which that Prof. Inamdar had given was : " Take care of your own son ." This verily implies the nature of the girl and to what indecent extent she can go to increase her marks . This clearly shows the intentions of Prof. Rao and was basically a planned activity that includes all my batchmates . I suspect there was leakage in the question paper to the other students as well .

In the meantime , also did I try to shift my base to Chennai Mathematical Institute ( CMI ) and they were happy to take me as a continuing student there . But , Prof. Rao and Student Co-ordinator Shreedhar Inamdar made threat calls to CMI that they'll face litigation if they incorporate me in CMI , thereby closing all my ways and putting me in a dead-end .

Finding no other way , I rushed to the Local PS Kengeri , Bangalore after 3 months from where I could retrieve a photocopy of my original exam answerscript on the request of the OC there . But , the question paper of the mid-term of the same subject was not with me . I pleaded to sit for the next term examination and also got order from High Court Calcutta so as to continue with my ongoing studies provisionally. But , he made arrangements for disallowing me from sitting in the exam . The exam of my class was taken in a hushed manner in a different room and not in the exam hall and it was an open book test so that the rest of students can pass . At last , one retired Director's son ( junior to me in the same institute ) mailed me the said question paper . I checked my mid-term and final papers of the same subject of the same semester with 12 professors all over India and abroad and found that I receive at least 70/100 in the same paper ( 26and a half /40 in mid-term and 49/60 in the final semester ). The checked copies are also with me and they had been represented to the Dean and Director repeatedly but they paid no heed . Instead of checking the copy , Dean and Director also told : " They kept on speading that I was mentally sick " The Director morover kept on telling other learned people who are my well-wishers that he had taken personal interest in my case and got my copies checked from some other professor and had found out that marks don't increase in my paper . But , I had asked him to clarify and pinpoint the person with whom he had checked my copies . But , he would not disclose that . So , you can very well understand that if the Dirtector of an institute is like this , how does the institute fare and upto what level can manipulations go on in the institute .

Morover , there is also no system of giving mark-sheet in ISI Bangalore . I suspect that the said Prof. Rao has over-rated his friend's ward ISSAN Patri with false credentials and increased his marks in all semesters so that he can supercede me , although i had topped in all 3 previous semesters .

Dean of ISI was ordered from High Court Calcutta to use fair judgement and precedences and to look into my matter , instead he disallowed me from doing my ongoing 3rd year classes and also disallowed me from giving exams although I had received orders from the court so as to give the exams provfisionally . He deferred the matter till January 25th when there was an Academic Council Meeting where he could legalise the wrong order or repitition that he had given me . There was no scope of repitition in ISI rules if one fails in any subject in 2nd year .

Finding no other way , me and my widow mother had to again go to Bangalore to chase Prof. Rao , where Dean mailed Prof. TSSRK Rao to use his judgement , but the said professor is not ready to check my paper once more and give me the justified marks . They are just playing passing the ball game with my career . Morover , there was no accordance with the words of Prof. Rao and the Dean . Prof. Rao had told my mother that Dean had instructed him to defer the matter indefinitely , but the Dean told my mother that he had not told him anything like that .

Another 2 months are left for my going abroad and most probably I am the only person from ISI this time who will be eligible to go to one of the 4 best universities of USA from India and my career in about to get doomed . All my applicatiosns are wasted due to letters sent by Prof. Rao and Prof. Inamdar to US universities .

My widow mother with her two children ( my sister and me ) ran from post and pillars to survive and continue my studies but the said professor opposed all aveneues for me from last July ( Director of Chennai Mathematical Institute was very keen to take a student like me and provide all possible arrangements for my smooth journey towards research in USA , but they were threatened to get into legal hazards ).

Prof. TSSRK Rao is trying to kill my mother , who is a patient of hypertension and high blood pressure . She is running to Bangalore to meet the said professor and plead for mercy and then the professor is moving elsewhere . This has been done several times . My mother is panting to get in touch with him , but he instead wrote the Dean of Studies : ' I have been reported that he ( me) is mentally sick " , thereby trying to force me to suicide and ruin my family and put the blame on my mental condition which is absolutely fit and so I have recieved the Highest Award in India at Undergraduate Level , Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojna Scholarship where the Dean himself was in the interview board . But , my KVPY scholarship money for last one year April , 2007 to June , 2008 has also been stopped by Prof. TSSRK as he sent a 6 page letter to the Convener of KVPY , Prof. Dipankar Chatterjee writing all sorts of rubbish against me . This was the only source of my income as a student .

Recently , he has sent a letter from Prime Minister's Office to Prof. R.Subramanian , Director General of Birla Planetarium , who was happy to recommend me in 4 US universities so as to showcause . Prof. Rao has been defaming me eversince . He is writing all rubbish against me so as to cover his fatal crime . Such a scourge/ rogue should be banned from scientific community .

Prof. TSSRK Rao , Bangalore , Karnataka who has studied from Andhra University cannot appreciate an IIT (Indian Institute of Technology ) scorer , State Board Engineering scorer and Highest achiever in institution like ISI . He has murdured me intellectually and he is after my life now. I expect justice from you .

His Phone Number is :

+9180 2339 9019

Some hooligans are after me and my mother's life and we suspect that they are being sent by prof. TSSRK Rao. We have been receiving threat calls eversince .

Please save me . Treat my letter as most urgent .

Yours Sincerely ,

Arka Prava Bandyopadhyay , India

Add: 1)My CV is attached where all my academic and non-academic details are there .

2) I can also send a scan of my answerscripts to you if needed .

Arka Prava Bandyopadhyay

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You can save me from such nuisance , so that I can pursue my career which is rich in mathematical aspect .
Here are my prayers :

1) Remove the membership of Prof. TSSRK Rao with immediate effect from the glorious tag of American Mathematical Society . He should be blacklisted .

2) I had sent applications for Graduate Studies in US universities . But , due to the nuisance done by Prof. TSSRK Rao and his team , my applications are not properly checked , I am defamed and malutilized , although professors ( Nobel Laureates and Field Medalists ) had mailed me great compliments while I had informed them about my mathematical endeavours and my application to the US universities .

3) I am the best student of India at Undergraduate Level who is applying for Ph.D in US universities this time and should receive the treatment like the same . I have never gone for the softer choice in life .

4) I have been invited for a one month project of NASA before even completing my graduation . I have already been engaged with a project in ISRO ( Indian Space Research Organisation ) .

5) Prof.Jeff Hoffman of MIT knows about me . I want to do my Ph.D in MIT . Please make arrangements so that my application viewed in normal procedure whence I am sure to get admission to Graduate School for Ph.D .

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Add : The Dean of ISI Prof. Bimal Roy was initially sympathetic to my case , but now has made a patch up with Prof. TSSRK Rao and his team ( Prof. Inamdar and others ) . Dean of Studies was given an order from High Court of Calcutta in September , 2007 so as to solve my case with immediate effect and allow me to continue my course in the normal schedule . Instead , he deferred the matter till January , 2008 whereby disallowing to attend my classes and to give my exams . He had instead told me to repeat so that Prof. TSSRK Rao is successful in his plan of sending ISSAN PATRI with increased marks and false credentials to his desired university by detaining me . Repitition was not in the rules of ISI . So , what Dean of Studies , Prof. Bimal Roy did was to legalise the repitition procedure in the Academic Council in order to cover his irremovable mistake . In the end of February , when me and my mother had gone to ISI Bangalore , Dean Bimal Roy had told Prof. TSSRK Rao " to use his judgement " and Prof. TSSRK Rao is fleeing from place to place . When the Dean was empowered to take the decision , the above statement only shows the intentions of delaying my matter in the mind of Dean .

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A list of precedences was gathered by my mother from ISI through RTI ( Right to Information) Act and they show the liberal attitude ISI had taken to students ( many of whom are my friends ) so as to make them continue with their ongoing studies inspite of the fact that they had faiiled in so many subjects . The list of precedences is presented hereby for ready reference .

Some precedences ISI showed earlier to the troubled students to pursue their career :

Precedence of Students give grace :

B.Stat First Semester Course :

1) Ankit Saraf
2) Kushdesh Prasad
3) Rohit Patel
4) Chaitanya Raghupati
5) Mattenpalli
6) Dinesh Raj
7) Rahul Yadav
8) Pallavi Basu ( my son's classmate at Narendrapur Anirban Basak's friend )
9) Tamal Ghosh
10) Anupam Chebber ( studied with my son in St. Lawrence School for 10 years)

These students were of B.Stat First Semester and failed and Kushdesh Prasad , Rahul Yadav and Rohit Patel were detained while the others were declared to have passed in 2004-2005 session .
Ordered by Dean Prof. S.K.Majumder , 2004-2005

Order of 12/04/07 B.Stat 3rd year supercedes the previous order partially which was given on 11/07/07 :

1) Ankit Saraf (BS0421)
2) Rohit Patel (BS0427)
3) Rahul Yadav ( BS0402)

Morover , Arnab Mitra ( MM0402 ) ( who had studied with my son in ISI Bangalore in the 2nd year M.Math )was ordered : must not get

1) Priam Biswas ( BS0214) of B.Stat Kolkata had been given grace in three semesters 2004-2005 with no stipend and he has continued his study uptill 2006 at the time of Dean S.K.Majumder and still now pursuing his masters in ISI Kolkata .

2) Sonia Gopalan ( MMC0609 ) had been scope repeatedly until 29/01/07
Ordered by Prof. Bimal Roy ( present Dean of Studies )

These are cited before you for ends of justice .

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The Honourable Chairman Pranab Mukherjee has instructed the Director , ISI to do a comparative checking of all the answerscripts so that the crime done to me is easily visible . But , 2 months have passed after that also . They are still deferring the matter and are paying no heed to our repeated pleas .

My mother had also gone to the MINISTRY OF STATISTICS , elhi and lodged the complaint there who have apparently appreciated my perspective and have seriously commented against this crime . They have also instructed Dean and Director to solve my matter with immediate effect , still the Dean and Director are flying to places and not paying any heed to my problem .

Relevant Police Stations have been informed with a launch of Diary therein .

A student of my calibre is UNWANTED here and it is MONEY that only speaks .

I have come to know that you are quite a knowledgable person and would appreciate the genre of excellence I belong to . I request you to immediately resolve the matter . Now , that they have wasted my one year time , they would be putting so many reasons to again detain me . I have done mor ethan 22 projects on various subjects for last 2 and a half years . My demand is that I be given Graduation Degree along with my batchmates by assessment of the projects that I have done with all the eminent scientists in India and be cleared with all the papers in 3rd year , as I don't have any time to prepare for them and give them in future . In no circumstances am I ready to waste more time in ISI , as I have acquired enough expertise in my areas of interest to do research . If , I don't get the Graduation Certificate in the desired schedule , my demand is that all the Graduation certificates of my batchmates be seized with immediate effect as they are equally involved in the conspiracy .

Posted by: Arka Prava Bandyopadhyay on June 17, 2008 05:59 AM

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