What’s going on at Penguin India?

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed…

– William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming (1921)

Thus begins my copy of Hindu Myths, published by Penguin with introduction and notes by Wendy Doniger. I had bought Wendy Doniger’s book while at university, inspired by a module on South Asian religions and my lecturer’s effusive praise for Doniger’s research and textual scholarship. I remember looking specifically for the Penguin edition because I held them to the highest standards. Now? Not so much.

Wendy Doniger (November 20, 1940), a prolific writer on the Hindu religion and translator of Sanskrit texts, has published Vātsyāyana Kāmasūtra, The Laws of Manu, and Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook, among others.

In an out-of-court settlement with a Hindu nationalist group, Penguin India has agreed to recall and destroy all copies of Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: An Alternative History within India. The lawsuit in which her book is implicated claims that Doniger is accused of hurting “the religious feelings of millions of Hindus by declaring that Ramayana is a fiction”.

Time.com provides a succinct summary of events thus far:

In 2011, the Hindu nationalist group Shiksha Bachao Andolan filed a civil case against Penguin India over The Hindus: An Alternative History, by Wendy Doniger, a professor of religion at the University of Chicago. The group claims the book offends Hindus by, among other things, inaccurately representing the religion and offering an overly sexual interpretation of Hindu texts. This, it contends, violates a section of the Indian penal code that prohibits “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.”

However Penguin India chooses to justify its decision, the fact remains that there was no court order and that the great publishing house could definitely have fought its case further and harder. Naturally, we’re all furious with Penguin’s chickening out. But despite our alarm, fury, outcry and protestations, I wonder if Penguin India is the real villain here.

William Dalrymple pointed out that “real villains are the laws in this country, which were old colonial laws drawn up in the 1890s, and which make insulting religion a criminal offence… The reality is that it is very difficult to defend yourself because the law is stacked very heavily on the side of any lunatic.”

Adding to Dalrymple’s voice of reason, Doniger herself defended her publishing house. Despite her anger and disappointment, she believes Penguin India was “finally defeated by the true villain of this piece – the Indian law that makes it a criminal rather than civil offence to publish a book that offends any Hindu, a law that jeopardises the physical safety of any publisher, no matter how ludicrous the accusation brought against a book”.

All copies of The Hindus: An Alternative History within India will be recalled and pulped.

However, Arundhati Roy appears has a different opinion on the matter. In an open letter to Penguin India, she has demanded an explanation of their decision. And to be perfectly honest, as someone who’s seen Penguin as a hallmark of great literature, I cannot help but agree with her. Who else is going to fight for free speech when senseless, arbitrary laws threaten writers and readers with censorship? What a heart wrenching, agonizing irony it is that the purveyors of speech are the ones undermining free speech. If Salman Rushdie’s fatwa issued by the Ayatollah had sent a tsunami wave of shock and disbelief through the literary world, I can’t imagine that the pulping of Wendy Doniger’s books in the Indian subcontinent won’t do any less. The only point this proves is that fascists have no creed or nationality, and that sometimes, they do win.

As a citizen of the world and a woman of Indian origin, I am deeply concerned and a little frightened about the future of the freedom of speech in India as long as saffron-robed fascists are in power.

A Literary Family for Book Lovers

Still reeling from the surprise of being Freshly Pressed and in honour of Banned Books Week, I put together what I thought would be the perfect family populated with characters from fiction.

Mother: Marjane’s grandmother from Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

There is a beautiful scene early in the graphic novel Persepolis where Grandma Satrapi undresses in front of Marjane, and wondrous-smelling jasmine flowers fall from inside her brassiere…That entire scene just oozes femininity and womanhood. Grandma Satrapi provides Marjane with a sense of identity in her formative years by plying her with stories of her family history. Gentle and firm, she dispenses solid real-world advice to Marjane: “In life, you’ll meet a lot of jerks… Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.”

Father: Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Because he’s really literature’s best father. He’s raising two kids on his own while trying to protect his children from a horribly pervasive small-town mentality. He speaks to Jem and Scout as adults, but still maintains his wry sense of humour. Atticus Finch is a good man with a fantastic value system, who remains honourable and honest in his profession and dealings with people. He’s gained an insight into the minds of the people around him, a trait that we see Scout developing over the course of the novel. And he’s full of these pithy little statements that are so utterly quotable. “Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand”; “Try fighting with your head for a change”; “It’s not okay to hate anybody”.

(He’s also a sharp shooter. Wow. Can you imagine me chilling out with Dad on a Saturday afternoon, shooting beer bottles in our backyard?)

Siblings: Nora & Dora Chance from Wise Children by Angela Carter

This vaudeville pair of fraternal twins from Angela Carter’s kaleidoscopic novel are probably the most colourful female characters I’ve come across in my reading life. Nora and Dora are showbiz girls in every way: catty, wild and loud. They dress abominably – always a hit with me – and have a fantastic sense of humour. Because of their very public status as illegitimate daughters of a successful stage actor, they tend to take a light-handed approach to life. Through their joys and despite their tragedies, the two sisters stick together. What more can you ask for?

Aunt: Polgara from The Belgariad by David Eddings

Can you imagine an immortal sorceress for an aunt? You wouldn’t have to worry about bullies ever. Polgara is rather politically inclined, a trait that is helped by a sharp tongue; she modernized her government, freed her serfs and trained her people in self-sufficiency. Imagine sitting down for a cup of tea and discussing the finer points of Machiavelli with Aunt Polgara.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in the TV series Sherlock (2010)

Neighbour: Sherlock Holmes

I don’t really need to elaborate on the merits of having Sherlock Holmes as your neighbour, do I? Aside from his insomnia, coke habit and numerous other eccentricities, he’s… Sherlock Holmes. Witty, charming and eloquent, he is the benchmark against which all other detectives are measured. Having Sherlock Holmes for a neighbour is a fantastic way to gain a daily education in logic and common sense – qualities the world needs a little more of.