Indian author Sushmita Banerjee was executed by the Taliban late on Wednesday. While the reason for the barbaric act was not given, Banerjee had possibly attracted the ire of the fundamentalist outfit in Afghanistan for her ceaseless social work, especially for women’s healthcare and rights.
Forty-nine-year-old Banerjee, according to reports, was dragged out of her house in Kharana in Paktita province before being shot dead by the turbaned militants. The execution signals the portent of things to come before the impending withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan where deadly attacks and other forms of atrocities against women have spiralled in the past few months.
Banerjee, who had converted to Islam and rechristened herself as Sayeda Kamala, retained her Indian citizenship. Earlier too she had attracted the anger of the regressive Taliban. Her memoir about her dramatic escape from the clutches of the fundamentalist outfit inspired a movie in 2003, Escape from Taliban, starring Manisha Koirala.
Last month, a female Afghan MP was abducted by suspected Taliban militants while she was travelling with her children. Another woman MP recently sought asylum in Britain after being abandoned by her relatives for seeking divorce from an abusive husband. In July, gunmen assassinated a high profile female police officer. These instances have occurred in the backdrop of the orthodox Muslim groups renewing their call against women stepping out of their homes to work or seek independent careers.
Indian officials in Kabul confirmed that Banerjee was shot around 11pm on Wednesday and that her last rites were performed by her family on Thursday. She had just returned to Afghanistan after celebrating Eid in West Bengal.
Married to an Afghan businessman, Jaanbaz Khan, Banerjee had recently moved back to the strife-torn country after spending a few years in India, especially Kolkata and Mumbai. Her best-selling book, Kababuliwalar Bangali Bou (A Kabuliwala’s Bengali Wife), was written in 1995 after she escaped from the clutches of the Taliban in the wake of the fall of Afghanistan to the marauding hordes.
Forty-nine-year-old Banerjee, according to reports, was dragged out of her house in Kharana in Paktita province before being shot dead by the turbaned militants. The execution signals the portent of things to come before the impending withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan where deadly attacks and other forms of atrocities against women have spiralled in the past few months.
Banerjee, who had converted to Islam and rechristened herself as Sayeda Kamala, retained her Indian citizenship. Earlier too she had attracted the anger of the regressive Taliban. Her memoir about her dramatic escape from the clutches of the fundamentalist outfit inspired a movie in 2003, Escape from Taliban, starring Manisha Koirala.
Last month, a female Afghan MP was abducted by suspected Taliban militants while she was travelling with her children. Another woman MP recently sought asylum in Britain after being abandoned by her relatives for seeking divorce from an abusive husband. In July, gunmen assassinated a high profile female police officer. These instances have occurred in the backdrop of the orthodox Muslim groups renewing their call against women stepping out of their homes to work or seek independent careers.
Indian officials in Kabul confirmed that Banerjee was shot around 11pm on Wednesday and that her last rites were performed by her family on Thursday. She had just returned to Afghanistan after celebrating Eid in West Bengal.
Married to an Afghan businessman, Jaanbaz Khan, Banerjee had recently moved back to the strife-torn country after spending a few years in India, especially Kolkata and Mumbai. Her best-selling book, Kababuliwalar Bangali Bou (A Kabuliwala’s Bengali Wife), was written in 1995 after she escaped from the clutches of the Taliban in the wake of the fall of Afghanistan to the marauding hordes.
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