“Secular” India

I guess at times I am enthralled by the fact that India is truly a secular and a minorities championing country. The Prime Minister is from a minority religion, a woman is the president and an Italian born Indian citizen runs (allegedly) the party in power. I mean, where else can you find such welcoming people?

But then there is bullshit like this :

Taslima Nasreen forced to leave India again

So here is an authour who has done no wrong to anyone except write poetry and about the women in Islam. For that she :

has again been “forced” to leave India after her brief stay here, prompting the controversial writer to question the country’s alleged secular credentials.

The writer, who returned to India on August 8, said she had to leave on October 15 following the government’s dictum.

“Yes, I was forced to leave India once again… The government gave me resident permit for 6 months with a secret condition that I must leave the country in a few days,” she told PTI in an e-mail interview.

“Gave a 6 month visa with the condition that she leave immediately”???? WHAT?? So the all powerful, all secular government of India bowed and cowered to a segment of the population that has better things to revile in the country like poverty, corruption etc. but instead focuses it’s energy on an authour!!?!!

I know it’s all politics but there comes a time when a government needs to stand up for a principle. This author had to flee her birth country because of the fatwa placed on her. This was the perfect opportunity for the government of India and the state government (which is, ironically, a communist party i.e. an anti religion party) to demonstrate their secular credentials.

And why would anyone want to object violently to what a person has written? This is what really irks me about Indians. They take little silly issues like a book and make a huge deal out of it. Why?