India: Doniger’s book back on the stands - Aleph Book Company defies Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti

http://www.thehindu.com/books/donigers-book-back-on-the-stands/article6115286.ece

The Hindu June 15, 2014 01:50 IST

Doniger’s book back on the stands

'On Hinduism’ by Wendy Doniger on display at a book store in New Delhi on
Saturday. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

SBAS had objected to the book On Hinduism

ANITA JOSHUA

Three months after Aleph Book Company decided that American Indologist
Wendy Doniger’s book On Hinduism would be reprinted only after issues
raised by the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti (SBAS) were resolved, a new
reprint of the book is now out.

Over the past week, copies of the book were spotted in a couple of book
shops in the Capital. One bookseller in South Delhi told The Hindu that
fresh copies of the book arrived about a week ago. That Aleph Book Company
has decided to reprint the book was also confirmed by Ms. Doniger.

The professor of History of Religions at the University of Chicago Divinity
School told The Hindu that she had been informed by Aleph Book Company
about a month ago that a fresh reprint had been ordered. The publishers,
she said, had despatched copies of the new reprint but they had not reached
her yet.

Asked whether the issues raised by the SBAS, which had charged Ms. Doniger
with distorting facts to denigrate Hinduism, had been resolved amicably,
the author said she was not aware of the fate of the complaint.

According to her, the publishers handled the case on their own and reported
to her “in a general sort of way what they intended to do,” adding she did
not know who they had consulted to assess the book in the light of the
SBAS’ complaints.

On March 10, Aleph Book Company had said that in view of the complaints
raised by the SBAS and its convener Dinanath Batra, the book — which “is
now out of stock with us” — would “only be reprinted after the objections
are examined by our lawyers and four independent writers and scholars so we
are able to properly assess them and determine how best to resolve the
situation.” Ms. Doniger was not told who these writers and scholars were.

Aleph Book Company did not respond to an email sent by The Hindu enquiring
about the status of the assessment and whether the matter had been resolved
to the satisfaction of all concerned. Mr. Batra told The Hindu that he had
not heard from the publishers since their March statement and the “chapter
is closed as they had agreed not to reprint the book without my consent.”

On Hinduism is the second Doniger book that caught Mr. Batra’s attention.
Earlier, Penguin India decided to withdraw from India and pulp all
remaining copies of her book The Hindus: An Alternative History after the
SBAS took the publishing house to court.