Selected Columns

Taslima Nasreen’s ‘Nirbachita Kalam’ (Selected Colomns) came out in 1992 and a second volume in 1993 called ‘Nashto Meyer Nashto Gadya’ (Fallen woman’s fallen prose). These two volumes of Nasreen’s prose have earned her a distinct place in the galaxy of South Asian feminist writings. Awarded the Ananda Puraskar, ‘Nirbachita Kalam’ records the writer’s varied experiences of childhood, her growth as a writer and an outspoken spokesperson for all the oppressed and exploited women of her country. Through her unsentimental and unadorned style, Nasreen shows vividly how women have always been treated as objects in a patriarchal society, how religious diktats continuously strive to chain her further and how every social and familial relationship is marred by male lust for power and domination. Through her indomitably candid prose, Nasreen takes us on a tour of Bangladesh’s history to pinpoint the high points of women’s exploitation, be it the Liberation War of 1971 or the more current years before her exile. This volume is of enduring interest to all those interested in feminist theory and politics, in society and in the questions of justice and equality.