Good news for Free Speech: Court Lifts Ban on James Laine's Shivaji Book

The Times of India

Writers welcome SC judgment on Shivaji book

TNN, Jul 10, 2010, 12.56am IST

MUMBAI: Friday’s Supreme Court judgment lifting the ban on James Laine’s controversial book Shivaji - Hindu King in Islamic India has received mixed reactions. While most have welcomed the lifting of the ban, some feel that the author should have shown restraint in publishing controversial material that was not backed by documentary evidence.

Sharada Dwivedi, a Mumbai-based historian and researcher, said she was delighted that the ban on the book had been lifted. "Shivaji was undoubtedly a great man who was highly revered, but we live in a democracy and people should have the freedom of speech," she said. Dwivedi referred to the despicable attack on Pune’s Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in 2004 by a politically motivated group, the Sambhaji Brigade, who vandalised the premises merely because the author had conducted his research for the book there. "It was unforgivable," she said. "They were protecting the reputation of someone who has been gone for centuries, but in the process destroyed something that could have been a treasure trove for future generations."

Writer Chetan Bhagat said he was against the very of idea books being banned. "To ban or not to ban a book becomes a very subjective choice. If a book has hurt sentiments or is offensive, people can condemn it, ignore it or ask for an apology, but banning a book shows high-handedness. We should not turn into a society that doesn’t allow voices of dissent," said Bhagat, adding, "If the book hurt sentiments, the author should apologise. Like in the case of a recently published article in Time magazine by Joel Stein that offended Indian sensibilities. Ultimately, they published an apology."

Shyam Pakhre, history lecturer at KC College, said that when foreigners write books based on Indian history, they are often unable to understand the moral code of conduct of our society. "Writing sensational things without supporting them with evidence is bound to hurt sentiments. I support freedom of speech and expression only when due respect is given to people’s sentiments," he said.

Writer Shanta Gokhale said this was a small issue blown out of proportion. "It was not as if James Laine was saying anything new, but there has always been someone to claim championship of the Marathas. Today, it is impossible for anyone to say or write anything about Shivaji. It’s almost like 10 people or so have a monopoly over the man. I’m happy for Laine and the rest of us," she said.

Aroon Tikekar, a journalist and historian, felt that the Maharashtra government was hasty in banning the book. "There is nothing controversial in the book. It is the theory that the Portuguese had come up with that Shivaji was born in the fort of Bafir and was the son of a man named Menezes. This theory was even mentioned in Gerson da Cunha’s book, 'The Origin of Bombay'. However, this theory has been exploded, which is also mentioned in the book."