India not intolerant; secularists targeting only Hindu fundamentalists: Taslima Nasreen

Kozhikode: Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen waded into the debate over 'intolerance' on Saturday and said India is not an 'intolerant' nation.

She, however, added many intolerant people were living in India.

“I think most people are quite tolerant of each others’ faith. The laws in India do not support intolerance. But there are so many intolerant people in this country,” Taslima said at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode, as per The Hindu.

Speaking at the festival, Taslima said she always wondered why only Hindu fundamentalists were the target of secularists in India.

Why are Muslim fundamentalists not targeted, she asked.

The renowned writer said pseudo-secularism is not a feature of a true democracy.

She added that currently in India, a tussle has been going on between secularism and fundamentalism, between innovation and tradition, between humanity and barbarianism, and between people who value freedom and who do not, The Hindu reported.

Taslima also said that all religions are anti-woman and fundamentalists are only distorting it further.

The Bangladeshi writer in exile has been living in New Delhi since 2005.