Writers urge Centre to grant citizenship to Taslima

New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI) Nearly 100 writers from across the country today signed a resolution, urging the Central Government to grant citizenship rights and asylum to Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who is now being confined at a safe house in New Delhi.

The resolution was signed at a gathering at the lawns of Sahitya Akademi here. It will be taken all over the country, said Girdhar Rathi, former Editor of the Akademi, giving details about the initiative.

The writers expressed dismay at ''the fate'' of Taslima Nasreen and urged the Government to let her live wherever she wished.

''In a country known for its hospitalty and its tradition of giving sanctuary to people victimised outside its borders, we are aghast at the shabby way she is being treated. Writers are not being met her and to the best of our knowledge is being kept in Delhi against her will,'' they said in the resolution.

Among those who signed the resolution are well known writers Krishna Sobti, Lakshmi Kannan, Prayag Shukla, Mangalesh Dabral, Ashok Vajpeyi, Chandra Prakash Deol, Bharat Ola and Alok Bhalla.

They urged the Government to grant her full citizenship and allow her to live wherever she liked.

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