<p>Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen does not feel that India is an "intolerant" country and wondered why secularists in the country were questioning only Hindu fundamentalists.<br /><br />She also said that a democracy based on pseudo-secularism was not a true democracy at all.<br /><br />"I don't think India is an intolerant country. Most of the people are quite tolerant for each other's faith, I think", she said at the Kerala Literature Festival here last evening, joining the debate over 'intolerance'.</p>.<p><br />The author, living in exile in India after incurring the wrath of fundamentalists back home over a novel written by her in 1994, said, "The laws in the country (India) do not support intolerance. But there are so many intolerant people in the country."<br /><br />Responding to a question, she said: "Why secularists in India were questioning only Hindu fundamentalists while leaving alone Muslim fundamentalists."<br /><br />"True conflict in India was between secularism and fundamentalism, between innovation and tradition and between people who value freedom and who do not", she said.<br /><br />"All religions were anti-women though distortions caused by fundamentalists added to it", Nasreen said explaining her struggle against fundamentalism.<br /><br />Holding that religion should be kept separated from government, she said influence of religion in lawmaking has caused "oppression" of both Hindu and Muslim women in Bangladesh.<br /><br />More than 150 writers of national and international repute are taking part in the four-day festival which concludes today. </p>
<p>Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen does not feel that India is an "intolerant" country and wondered why secularists in the country were questioning only Hindu fundamentalists.<br /><br />She also said that a democracy based on pseudo-secularism was not a true democracy at all.<br /><br />"I don't think India is an intolerant country. Most of the people are quite tolerant for each other's faith, I think", she said at the Kerala Literature Festival here last evening, joining the debate over 'intolerance'.</p>.<p><br />The author, living in exile in India after incurring the wrath of fundamentalists back home over a novel written by her in 1994, said, "The laws in the country (India) do not support intolerance. But there are so many intolerant people in the country."<br /><br />Responding to a question, she said: "Why secularists in India were questioning only Hindu fundamentalists while leaving alone Muslim fundamentalists."<br /><br />"True conflict in India was between secularism and fundamentalism, between innovation and tradition and between people who value freedom and who do not", she said.<br /><br />"All religions were anti-women though distortions caused by fundamentalists added to it", Nasreen said explaining her struggle against fundamentalism.<br /><br />Holding that religion should be kept separated from government, she said influence of religion in lawmaking has caused "oppression" of both Hindu and Muslim women in Bangladesh.<br /><br />More than 150 writers of national and international repute are taking part in the four-day festival which concludes today. </p>