omen's and self-proclaimed "liberal" and "secular" activists are giving numerous excuses for not supporting "minority activist" Shireen Dalvi, the former editor of the Urdu daily Avadhnama, who is now in fear of her life and in hiding after receiving threats from religious extremists. Dalvi has already apologised several times for publishing the cover of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in her newspaper and sought pardon for publishing the same erroneously as she "did not understand French". But the threat to her life has not been called off by religious groups angry at the publication of images from the French magazine, whose senior staff was killed by Al Qaeda elements in January.

Ranjana Kumari, the director for Centre for Social Research, an organisation working in the field of empowerment of women said to The Sunday Guardian, "We are aware of the case and plight of Shireen Dalvi, but have no information on her whereabouts. We will definitely want to help her reclaim her normal life by helping her negotiate with the aggrieved parties, but we do not have her contact details." Kumari also added that they were busy with the case of a Class 9 student of the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kolkata who allegedly committed suicide and could not devote time to Dalvi's plight.

The general secretary of the People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), S. Balamurugan said he was "not seized" of the issue and asked for a mail from this correspondent so as to apprise the national secretary of PUCL about the case. Incidentally, the PUCL has been waging a pitched campaign to defend Tamil author Perumal Murugan whose novel Madhorubagan, recently ran into a controversy, allegedly with "Hindu fundamentalists". PUCL even petitioned the Madras High Court last week to transfer the professor to a college in Chennai. Balamurugan, however promised to help the Urdu editor "soon enough".

Activist Teesta Setalvad's office member Alice picked up this correspondent's call and after learning of the subject, could be heard spelling it out to Setalvad. But the usually voluble activist refused to come on line, while the assistant said Setalvad would reply to a mail as she was busy in a meeting. Response to the mail sent to Setalvad is still awaited.

Women's rights activist and CPI(ML) leader Kavita Krishnan, who is active in raising her voice against Hindu Mahasabha and related organisations, cited her tweets on Shireen Dalvi as raising her voice on the matter. She added, "We have been speaking to groups in Mumbai and seeking to send out strong statements against the police attitude in the case." When reminded that it was not so much about the arrest as it is about the threat to Dalvi and her children's lives, she said, "Unless the media calls me ... wherein I can speak and create noise or write, how can I go ahead? The mainstream media is ignoring the issue; otherwise I am ready to write a full-fledged article. I have already tweeted that this is unacceptable. Now if your newspaper gives me a chance, I can write," Krishnan offered.

She messaged this correspondent: "And I mean it. If The Sunday Guardian would be willing to run a campaign, I and many others would be happy to write for it. We are doing on it what we do in every instance. Nothing more, nothing less."

Author and journalist Sandip Roy, who wrote an angry article asking "Je suis Shirin Dalvi, anyone?" after Dalvi's arrest and subsequent release into hiding, said the silence of the so called free-speech activists and liberals exposes our own double standards and hypocrisy. "If this had happened to an editor of an English language (rather than Urdu) publication, there would have been more of an outcry at least on social media. Many of these people you mention are active in English language media and we all tend to think there is no world outside the little worlds we inhabit," Roy added. He also pointed out that he did not like those cartoons himself but that he defended their right to publish it. "...And I think irrespective of how Dalvi deals with the issue with those in her community who feel upset by her decision, we should condemn the harassment she is facing. Otherwise it weakens our stance the next time someone else faces the same whether it's from right wing Hindu groups or Christian groups or Muslim groups," Roy added.

Roy has pointed out that two media outlets in India published some of the cartoons from Charlie Hebdo as a gesture of solidarity with the magazine. They were shared on social media, and the publications hailed for standing up to the terror. "No one called for their heads and if they had there would have been waves of social media outrage," Roy wrote.

Dalvi has been booked and arrested by the police in Maharashtra for "outraging religious feelings" with "malicious intent" under Section 295A of the IPC. After her release on bail, she is now in hiding and is unable to meet her children — a worrying aspect as she is a single mother. She and all her colleagues lost their jobs as the newspaper has been shut down. Because of the threat to her life, she is effectively barred from doing any work.

Muhammad Hussain Amir, the new chairperson of Maharashtra Minority Commission too expressed ignorance of Dalvi's case. "My office has not been approached by this woman journalist seeking any help or protection. We shall deal with it when it reaches us," was the reply from the Minority Commission's chief.

Noted journalist Nalini Singh admitted to having witnessed reticence amongst journalists and others who could be commenting on society. "All I can say is that Shireen Dalvi needs the support of everybody, including those across all regional languages; especially since she is a woman editor and with a family to look after," Singh said.

Maharashtra president of the women's wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Chitra Wagh said Thane MLA Jitendra Avhad of the NCP must have surely acted in the interests of Dalvi. Wagh expressed her inability to confirm anything.

Lalitha Kumaramangalam, chairperson of the National Committee for Women wrote in an email: "I appreciate your sending me this detailed email, regarding the plight of a vernacular journalist, Ms Shireen Dalvi. First, let me categorically say that I agree that our so called 'secularism', more often than not, doesn't extend to every writer automatically, as it should, if it was genuine. (At) the slightest hint of ... so called 'rightish' leanings, an individual is judged as not worth supporting. In this case, as the case is now sub-judice, the NCW cannot interfere. However, I will consult my legal counsel, and see what can be done. I assure you that, we will try to do whatever is permitted under our mandate."