"Amar Meyebela"(My girlhood) The title itselfshouts that this is a story by a Feminist author. In bengali, (the language inwhich the book is originally written) childhood is termed as "ChheleBela" whereas chhele means a boy. So Taslima defies the rule and calls herchildhood as Meye(girl) bela!
This is the first part of her biography. Her way of writing startles me. Herpoints often hit the patriarchal society below the belt. She is more of anactivist than a writer. She talks about herself and other women in the book.Taslima does not even spares her own parents or relatives in this books. Hatsoff to her for the courage to write so honestly.
Taslima as a Doctor feels helpless and tries to fight the evils of blind faith.She is punished again and again for trying to live life her own way. I cry as Iread her sufferings. I feel stronglyher life would have been easier had she been born in India.
This is the story of her journey from birth toadolescence. She feels that Religion is a tool that is more than often used bythe politicians to fool the ordinary man. She praises India for staying Secularand criticizes Bangladeshi Political parties for becoming an Islamic andcheating the Hindu and Buddhist citizens who fought for the country in 1971. And that is what infuriates theBangladeshi Govt. and they conspire to publicize the book as a piece of blasphemyand pornography.