Noted writers and intellectuals on Wednesday demanded the Union government to allow “free movement” to Bangladesh’s exiled writer Taslima Nasrin in the country and demanded a permanent visa for her.

Addressing a joint press conference under the banner “Forum for the protection of free speech and expression”, here they said that India is projected  on the world’s stage as a modern democracy. But the government has also the responsibility to protect the people’s right to free speech, they added.

Among those participated were noted writers Girish Karnad,  Arundhati Roy, Mahasweta Devi, Ashish Nandy and journalists Vinod Mehta and Tarun Tejpal.

They asked the government to sanction a permanent visa to the Nasrin immediately. And said   that her visa, which is to expire on February 18, has not been extended and thereby is liable to be deported or remain confined “as an illegal alien”.

The forum urged the CPM-led government in West Bengal not to play “ vote bank politics” with writers and threatened to launch  a nation wide protest against the suppression of freedom of speech.
The writers and journalists alleged that hitherto no action has been taken against those who had attacked the media and writers in different states.