THE THEME OF IDENTITY AND WOMEN OPPRESSION IN TASLIMA NASRIN’S NOVEL 'LAJJA' (Pages 161-171) by Mr. G. Nageswara Rao in THE ENGLISH RESEARCH EXPRESS / ISSN:2321-1164 (Online); 2347-2642 (Print)

Taslima Nasrin, a contemporary woman novelist, born and brought up in Bangladesh, vocationally trained to be a doctor, presents the agony of the women in Bangladesh. Their quest for self-identity is the pivotal point in her novel ‘Lajja’. This paper brings out the sufferings of women under the name of religion and culture of the South Asian Society as depicted by Taslima Nasrin. It also discusses the agony and fight for identity of the common people. Lajja is an account of the religious and social discrimination and oppression which became more destructive with the outburst against the demolition of the Babri Masjid in India on 6 December, 1992. It is a serious indictment against continuous and sustained subjugation of the minor community. It also deals with the various techniques used by the writer in her novel. Taslima Nasrin convinces the readers that the oppression of women and fundamentalist forces can be stopped if all of us who are humanistic and secular join together and fight their malignant influence.aslima Nasrin, a contemporary woman novelist, born and brought up in Bangladesh, vocationally trained to be a doctor, presents the agony of the women in Bangladesh. Their quest for self-identity is the pivotal point in her novel ‘Lajja’. This paper brings out the sufferings of women under the name of religion and culture of the South Asian Society as depicted by Taslima Nasrin. It also discusses the agony and fight for identity of the common people. Lajja is an account of the religious and social discrimination and oppression which became more destructive with the outburst against the demolition of the Babri Masjid in India on 6 December, 1992. It is a serious indictment against continuous and sustained subjugation of the minor community. It also deals with the various techniques used by the writer in her novel. Taslima Nasrin convinces the readers that the oppression of women and fundamentalist forces can be stopped if all of us who are humanistic and secular join together and fight their malignant influence.Keywords: oppression, identity, religion, social discrimination, feminist writing.