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Kolkata, once the nerve centre of liberal thought, fearless debate, and a natural haven for literature, now buckles under the slightest pressure of fundamentalism
Javed Akhtar, a poet who has never minced words in the case of any religion or political situation, finds an invitation extended to him withdrawn. File Image
It began with Taslima Nasreen, the exiled author from Bangladesh. It flared up with Salman Rushdie, an internationally acclaimed writer whose words shook the world. And it will not stop with Javed Akhtar—distinguished author, celebrated poet, and one of India’s most articulate voices of reason.
Kolkata, once the nerve centre of liberal thought, fearless debate, and a natural haven for literature, now buckles under the slightest pressure of fundamentalism. The tragedy is not that mobs rise, but that successive governments in West Bengal have chosen to collaborate by not standing up and staying silent.
The ‘Urdu in Hindi Cinema’ event, set for 31 August to 3 September, has been postponed. While the Urdu Academy cited “unavoidable circumstances”, the move comes amid protests from groups like Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, which objected to Javed Akhtar’s presence, accusing him of insulting various religions, including Islam. The Wahyain Foundation also opposed the event.
The pattern is too stark to be dismissed as a coincidence. Taslima Nasreen was hounded out not by the protesters but by the state’s protectors of law, with their tacit consent. Salman Rushdie was denied even the space of a literary conclave, his voice shut out citing circumstances that “hurt sentiments”.
And now, Javed Akhtar, a poet who has never minced words in the case of any religion or political situation, finds an invitation extended to him withdrawn.
However, the real outrage should be directed not at writers, but at the governments that repeatedly bend before fundamentalism, irrationality and intimidation. Unless there is a break in this spineless cycle, it will not stop with Javed Akhtar, the next voice too will be targeted, and the next after that. The saga will continue.
The Fall Of A Cultural Capital
Kolkata’s claim to being a citadel of liberal culture rests on the shoulders of giant movements and Bengali icons like the Bengal Renaissance, Rabindranath Tagore, the Hungry Generation poets, and the fiery little magazines that once challenged orthodoxy. Here was a city that once took pride in questioning authority, in producing ideas that shook empires. Today, the same city is hostage to those who cannot tolerate dissenting words and free speech.
What makes this fall particularly galling is the complicity of the political class and the administration. The Left, which wrapped itself in progressive slogans, betrayed those very ideals when it let mobs dictate what writers could or could not say, triggering Taslima Nasreen’s persecution, and blocking Rushdie and Javed Akhtar.
The Trinamool Congress, which apparently promised to defend culture and pluralism, has repeated the same pattern of appeasement. Over the past decade, not once has a ruling government in Bengal taken a principled stand in such cases to keep literature, thought, and speech free, no matter who feels offended.
This slow, steady erosion of Kolkata’s liberal and free-wheeling spirit is not just about individual writers being targeted. It signals a deeper cultural decay, where the guardians of the city’s heritage prefer expediency over conviction, safety and hassle-free handling over courage. Each surrender chips away at what once made Bengal exceptional.
If Taslima was the beginning and Rushdie the confirmation, the Javed Akhtar episode is the grim reminder that Kolkata’s famed tolerance is now a myth. And since it will not stop with Javed Akhtar, Bengal must brace for a future where silence replaces song, and cowardice replaces courage.
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa…Read More
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa… Read More
September 05, 2025, 12:07 IST
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