Thursday, May 12 2005 12:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has suggested that fundamentalists who objected to her writing and presence in India to speak to her directly instead of taking to the streets.

"If you have to protest against my views, write like I do. My weapon as a writer is my pen. If you try to browbeat me there cannot be any fair discussion," Taslima, who is to leave for Europe on Sunday (May 15, 2005) told sources in Kolkata.

Discussions and not street protests were the hallmark of a civilised society, she held.

"In society, groups, political parties have right to freely express their views without fear. Can't I enjoy the same right?" she asked.

She was of the view that those who held public demonstrations in Kolkata against here were a 'miniscule section' of the Muslim community.

"Do they represent the views of the large moderate Muslim community? I wonder," Taslima said.

Stating she cherished fond memories about the city where she had stayed for the past five and half months, Taslima said the people, particularly women, were the ones, who provided the inspiration for her writing.

Asked whether any future work of her would have Kolkata as the backdrop, Taslima said, "The people I write for are not aliens. They are my readers. I always think about them, I always seek to hear their voice."

"I did a number of write-ups where my experiences in this metropolis came up in different ways," she said.

The writer is hopeful to be back here among her 'own people' here between the end of August and the first week of September if either her appeal for citizenship or residential permit was granted or the External Affairs ministry heeded her appeal for another tourist visa.

About her past experiences in Bangladesh she said, "I initially earned the wrath of Islamic fundamentalists in 1989 in Bangladesh when my 'Nirbachita column' began to serially appear in papers there as I had advocated equal rights for women. I will stop writing if religion starts treating man and woman equally," Taslima said.

To the assertion made in some quarters that her autobiographical writings had also raised the hackles among a section of readers for alleged outrageous feminist views, Taslima said her 'fight' was not against men, but against the patriarchal system.

The controversial Bengali writer, who has been in exile in Europe from 1994 after fundamentalists issued a fatwa against her for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by her writing, had appealed to the Union Home ministry in February for Indian citizenship or residential permit stating she wished to live among her own people in Bengal.