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Controversial book banned in Rajasthan

Special Correspondent

The book is "insulting'' religious sentiment of "particular community''

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government on Thursday banned a controversial Hindi book, "Ve Sharm Se Hindu Kahate Hain Kyon?'' (Why do they say with shame they are Hindus?), authored by a Jodhpur-based Dalit educationist, on the ground that the book is "insulting'' the religious sentiments of a "particular community''.

A notification issued by the Government declared that each copy of the book, its reprints, translations and all documents containing extracts from the book would stand forfeited. Sohanlal Singaria, retired Additional Director, Education Department, is the author of the book and it has been published by Rajasthani Granthagar, Jodhpur.

According to the notification, the State Government was satisfied that the contents of the book were such that their publication hurts and insults the feelings of a particular community'' with deliberate and malicious intention'' and was punishable under Sections 153-A and 295-A of Indian Penal Code.

Section 153-A of IPC prescribes three years' imprisonment for promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, language, etc., while Sec. 295-A makes punishable the deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. The section lays down imprisonment up to three years and fine for the offence. This is the second instance of a book being banned by the State Government in the wake of controversy over its contents within two months. It had banned a book "Haqeeqat'' (Reality), authored by M.G. Mathew, in February this year on similar ground of religious sentiments being hurt. The ban on "Haqeeqat'' was accompanied by a series of violent attacks on Christian missionaries and institutions, and in particular the Emmanuel Mission of Kota, by Bajrang Dal and other constituents of Sangh Parivar. The Emmanuel Mission functionaries have since been arrested and cases slapped on them for allegedly publishing and distributing the book.

While "Haqeeqat'' was written in response to "Bunch of Thoughts'' authored by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue, M.S. Golwalkar, the Hindu radical organisations had pointed out that Mr. Singaria's book had insulted Hindu gods and denigrated the holy books such as Vedas, Upnishads, Smritis and Ramayana.

Social Welfare Minister Madan Dilawar, who withdrew the registration of Emmanuel Mission institutions promptly after the ban on "Haqeeqat'', had announced that action would be taken against anyone insulting the Hindu religion irrespective of his or her own religious persuasion.

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