Taslima Nasrin at the event at Mahajati Sadan on Thursday
The 63-year-old author said she missed Bengal.
Nasrin said: “It was for Kolkata that I left Europe and America. Now, the CM has said I can come whenever I want. If he says I can stay back, then I will stay back. Nasrin said she wanted to attend the Mahalaya event at Eden Gardens with her friends. “I really wish to enjoy it,” she added. Launching a sharp attack on madrasas, the exiled Bangladesh author said: “I know specifically about madrasas in Bangladesh, I don’t know much about them in India.
Speaking on the sidelines of a cultural event at Mahajati Sadan. I wanted to live in Kolkata. When I was driven out of Kolkata, I just stayed back in Delhi. But I didn’t leave Europe for Delhi; I left it for Kolkata. I felt that I would return to my language, to my Bengali culture. If possible, I will definitely try to stay in Kolkata. “I am not allowed to go to Bangladesh. I am grateful to everyone. I am a European citizen, but I don’t live in Europe. I came to Bengal drawn by my soul,” she added. Nasrin recited her poems depicting women’s rights, freedom and struggles at the event, ‘Breaking the Shackles’, organised by the NGO Le Rhythme. She was felicitated with ‘Uma Samman’ along with MLA Ratna Debnath, Maneka Sircar, dancer Maitreyee Pahari and others. P C Sircar Jr was honoured with ‘Rini Mukherjee Life Time Achievement Award’ along with P C Chandra Group MD Arun Kumar Chandra, Rabindra Sangeet singer Biva Sengupta and others.
Today, I’ve been allowed to come to Kolkata.