Taslima Nasreen lauds Gehlot's anti-ghoonghat stand; asks about Burqa

Popular Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Wednesday called on politicians to speak out against the practice of donning burqa, a day after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the custom of 'ghoonghat' must be eradicated at the earliest.

"Finally a politician spoke against ghunghat. Is there any politician who can speak against burqa publicly? They need to speak against burqa, and ghunghat (sic)," said Nasreen in a Twitter post. She added that politicians need to discourage women to wear things that are "symbols of women's oppression". Nasreen also gave a "big salute to CM Ashok Gehlot's conscience" on the micro-blogging site. The 56-year-old writer in-exile for 25 years from Bangladesh has been vocal of issues related to woman, most recently when actor Zaira Wasim had announced her intention to quit the film industry and hardliners had attempted to cash in on the decision.

READ | High Time Practice Of 'ghoonghat' Is Eradicated: Rajasthan CM Gehlot

Gehlot's progressive pitch

Expressing displeasure at the practice of covering women's faces with a 'ghoonghat' or veil in some rural areas, CM Gehlot on Tuesday said the custom belongs to a bygone era. "Time has changed now but the practice of 'ghoonghat' is still there in villages. What is right in confining a woman to 'ghoonghat'? Women cannot progress till the 'ghoonghat' exists," he said at a programme in Jaipur organised by an NGO.

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Gehlot said women will be able to come forward and play a constructive role in nation-building only when they are not forced to cover their faces. "Women are empowered. They have the capacity to bring changes in society and their role is very crucial," he said. Gehlot also emphasized the importance of completely eradicating the practice of child marriages, saying it destroys the lives of children.

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