KOZHIKODE: British-born Israeli writer Susan Nathan, facing deportation from India for alleged links with suspected religious extremists groups, has decided to move the Supreme Court to fight it out for fulfiling her desire to remain in the country.
Having been in “a war zone” for about six decades, the 63-year-old internationally acclaimed writer wants to live in “the land of the Mahatma”, her lawyer Manjeri Sunder Raj said.
Nathan would appeal to the Supreme Court next week, pleading for allowing her to remain in India, Raj told PTI when contacted from Kochi. “We are planning to move the Supreme Court by next week against the order of the division bench of the Kerala high court, which turned down her plea,” he said.
“There is no question of her going back. She is refusing to go as her reputation has been tarnished due to the police report,” he said.
Police had alleged she had links with some fundamental organisations here and registered a case against her for violating provisions of the Foreigners Act.
Nathan had been ordered by the Kozhikode district collector to leave the country following lapse of her visa in 2010 challenging which she had approached the Kerala high court, which also turned down her plea.
A British Jew, Nathan, is writing a book on her experiences in India. The allegation that she had violated visa regulations were incorrect, he said.
The writer’s troubles began when her book The Other Side of Israel was translated by a publisher in Kozhikode, which was alleged to have received funds from banned organisations like SIMI.
Harper Collins, publisher of the book, had in fact given permission to the Malayalam publishers and not Nathan, the counsel said.
There are also some “misgivings” about the translation. The book was translated by Dr Abdullah Manima, who is alleged to have some SIMI connections, the counsel said. (PTI)