India blocks French move to honour Taslima

India has poured cold water on a French government move to present a prestigious award to controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen in New Delhi during the upcoming visit of President Nicholas Sarkozy.

Nasreen, who has been kept in virtual confinement somewhere in Delhi, was named as recipient of Simone de Beauvoir award by the French government on January nine.

Sensing that she would not be able to travel out of India to receive the award named after famous writer Beauvoir, France had proposed to honour her during Sarkozy's two-day India visit from Friday.

The Ministry of External Affairs, however, has conveyed to the French government that it disfavours such a move, sources said.

The government, wary of repercussions, has cited the recent violence over her writings as the reason for disfavouring such a conferment, the sources said.

Widespread violence was witnessed in West Bengal a few months back after some radical Islamists demanded that she be thrown out of the country for hurting the sentiments of Muslims through her writings.

The government has said she was free to travel outside the country to receive the award given to her for her writings on women's rights.

Taslima wants award in India

Nasreen said that she would have been happy if the Simone de Beauvoir award was conferred on her by French President Nicolas Sarkozy during his visit to India.

"I will be very happy if the French award is conferred on me here during the President's visit," Taslima told PTI when contacted, but refused to comment on the Centre disfavouring the proposal by the French authorities.

Asked specifically if there could be protests from Muslims if the award was conferred on her in India, Taslima said: "I don't think so. Why will there be problems when I consider India my own country?"