New Delhi, July 31 -- Exiled author Taslima Nasreen has returned to Kolkata after 19 years. She described the visit as an "emotional homecoming".

This marks the controversial Bangladeshi author's first return to the city since November 2007. At the Kolkata airport, Nasreen greeted well-wishers with folded hands. She said she felt genuinely happy being back there.

Her arrival precedes a literary event scheduled for 1 August. That gathering has gained political significance under West Bengal's new government. Nasreen will appear at an anti-fundamentalism programme at Rabindra Sadan.

Taslima Nasreen is expected to recite poetry during this public appearance. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay are likely to ...