Penguin Books India pulps academic book on Hinduism in legal settlement

The Hindus: An Alternative History by Professor Wendy Doniger of the University of Chicago drew criticism from conservative Hindus and scholars for its orthodoxy and accuracyPenguin Books India has agreed to withdraw from sale all copies of a book that takes an unorthodox view of Hinduism, and will pulp them as part of a settlement after a case was filed against the publisher.The Hindus: An Alternative History by Wendy Doniger, a professor at the University of Chicago's divinity school, was published in India in 2011. Its depiction of the religion drew criticism from conservative Hindus and scholars.Penguin agreed on Monday in the district court in Delhi to recall the book, according to the petitioners' lawyer, Monika Arora. What appeared to be a copy of the court agreement was available on the internet on Tuesday. A complaint was filed by seven petitioners in the court in 2011.Penguin did not respond to requests for comment.The lead petitioner's original complaint criticised the book for "heresies and factual inaccuracies" and claimed Doniger had a selective approach to writing about Hinduism."She denounced the Hindu gods and freedom fighters of India," said Arora.A group headed by the lead petitioner has previously made complaints about subjects including sex education in schools and a magazine article about Hindu militancy.The book's withdrawal caused anger on Twitter, rekindling a debate about freedom of speech in the world's largest democracy."The 'offended'... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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