TEMPO.CO, New Delhi - Penguin India has agreed to recall and destroy all remaining copies of a book on Hinduism by a leading American academic, according to reports.
Penguin said it had the obligation to protect its workers against threats. Wendy Doniger's book The Hindus: An Alternative History had been the subject of a legal challenge claiming the text was offensive to Hindus. Shiksha Bachao Andolan brought a civil case in 2011 against Penguin India arguing that the book was insulting to Hindus, containing what they described as "heresies".
Details of an apparent agreement between the Hindu campaign group Shiksha Bachao Andolan and Penguin India have been circulated online.
Responding to the decision, Wendy Doniger issued a statement saying she was deeply angered and concerned for freedom of speech in India. The news has prompted widespread criticism on social media, amid growing concern that religious groups are stifling free speech and artistic expression in India.
BBC | TRIP B