West Bengal and Medical Research

This just in on the news wire... I wonder if Saurav can illuminate why his peeps are more willing to donate their bodies to science than the rest of India. I know that my peeps would only do it if there were a monetary incentive...

Taslima Nasreen to donate body
[India News]: Kolkata, March 4: Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has pledged to donate her body posthumously for scientific research.

Nasreen, who has been in India during the past few weeks, will sign the relevant paper on March 7, said the chief of the health agency responsible for collecting dead bodies for research.

"Taslima has been interested in donating her body for a while, and she will finally enter a written agreement on Monday," said Braja Roy of Darpan, the agency.

West Bengal tops the list of states whose people who have agreed to donate their bodies for medical science. Among them are Marxist icon Jyoti Basu and theatre personality Sobha Sen.

Nasreen, 43, has sought Indian citizenship or at least permission for indefinite residency after coming under attack in Bangladesh from Islamic fundamentalists.

She fled Bangladesh and began living a life in hiding after receiving death threats from Islamic radicals in 1994 for her book 'Lajja (Shame)'. Since 1994, she has
lived in Sweden, France, Germany and the US.

Though well disposed of towards her, West Bengal banned one of her books in 2003 for allegedly hurting Muslim sentiments and promoting personal slander. The book makes uncharitable references to some Bengali authors in the state.

--Indo-Asian News Service