What is surprising is Doniger's publishers, Penguin India, buckling and agreeing to pulp her book. This reflects the growing power of bullying self-appointed censors, with governments, politicians and courts seldom standing in their way.
Source/Credit: The Times of India
By TOI | February 13, 2013
The withdrawal of scholar Wendy Doniger's book The Hindus highlights shrinking freedom of speech in India — and more. That Doniger's critics — led by 84-year-old Dinanath Batra of the perversely named Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, followed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad — expressed annoyance at her book by launching an indefatigable legal campaign won't surprise many. Hindutva's ideologues have led often violent movements to ban works of art and academia — like MF Husain's paintings and James Laine's book on Shivaji.
What is surprising is Doniger's publishers, Penguin India, buckling and agreeing to pulp her book. This reflects the growing power of bullying self-appointed censors, with governments, politicians and courts seldom standing in their way.
If the law is trying to protect religious sentiment, the irony is that it is Doniger's work — not Batra's — that celebrates Hinduism. She appears to make the case that sex was treated by Hinduism as a natural, beautiful part of life, not to be treated with guilt and shame as Semitic religions may demand. This can hardly be construed as an attack on Hinduism. But by attacking Doniger's work for discussing sensuality in Hindu life, her opponents display a Victorian hangover with a Taliban temperament. Persistent attacks like these, and supineness of authorities, raise the question whether democracy — and India's future as a nation-state — can survive without freedom of expression.
For an answer, look to Pakistan. Indian laws which forbid offence to any religion mimic Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws, and Hindutva is perhaps the only force in the world driven by Pakistan envy today. If we go down the path of hurt sentiments and incentivising professional offence takers, we will soon have no defence left against the radicalism tearing Pakistan apart.
Read original post here: Withdrawal of Doniger book highlights sway of Taliban-like forces in India
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