Rebels in Exile

In the poem ‘India’, Taslima Nasrin throws light on feminism, secularism and the oppression
faced by women in society. She also pays homage to the country that provided asylum after she
was forced to flee her motherland. The circumstances that led to her banishment are rather
controversial. Her work, Lajja, caused a stir among the Islamic fundamentalists following which
she was forced to cease her medical practice and flee the country.

There’s no bigger misery than being exacted to leave ones abode. Closer home, people in India
have also been driven out of the country for voicing their thoughts. The prolific painter, MF
Husain who put India on the map of the art world, had to live in self-imposed exile for the last
six years of his life as he faced death threats at home, in India. It is a shame that this celebrated
artist, known and appreciated around the world for his unconventional art, was denied the honor
to breathe his last in his homeland because of the prudery of his Indian audience.

Opposing and protesting against the majoritarian has always come with a price in many societies.
When Fang Lizhi of China unshackled his liberal ideas for democracy, he faced strong
opposition from the Communist Party of China. In his essay, The Chinese Amnesia, he criticized
the rampant violation of human rights in Communist China and how the rest of the world has
glossed over this issue. This is very similar to Nasrin’s case, where she faced dissent and
resistance when she spoke about women’s right and wars. Lizhi had to seek asylum in the United
States after the Chinese Government put him and his wife at the top of the “wanted’ list.

More recently, in 2017, Gauri Lankesh, the journalist-turned-activist was subjected to a more
severe punishment for exercising her right to freedom of speech in the form of death.

Amnesty International releases a list called ‘Prisoners of Conscience’. It consists of people

imprisoned because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or political views. There are
presently about 10 million people included in that list. This itself shows the torture and anguish
faced by a large fraction of population when they stand by their conscientiously held beliefs.

When people like Fang Lizhi and Gauri Lankesh speak up, despite knowing that a sword is
looming above their heads, it is because rebellion is hard-wired in their brain and conformity
makes no sense to them. Such individuals are key to society to point out wrongdoings of the
people in power. If Malala Yousufzai hadn’t braved the Taliban and openly rallied against them,
the atrocities faced by Pakistanis wouldn’t have come to light.

Such intolerance towards anti-majoritarian ideas is not ideal for society. Voices which are brave
enough to condemn popular belief and detail its loopholes help the society to grow. Penalizing
such people will backfire and will foster cowardice among the citizens.

We must raise the next generation of citizens to not only speak up against the bad but also to
show their support and appreciation towards those who dare to go against the status quo.