Indian Publisher Withdraws Book, Stoking Fears of Nationalist Pressure

THE NEW YORK TIMES 
By Ellen Berry

Book cover.

INDIA---In a fight with a major company, a frail 84-year-old retired headmaster would seem to be the David to India’s publishing Goliath, Penguin Books. But this week the headmaster, Dinanath Batra, achieved the crowning victory of his career as a right-wing campaigner, forcing Penguin to withdraw and destroy remaining copies of a scholarly work on Hinduism by an American professor that Mr. Batra has called “malicious,” “dirty” and “perverse.” Penguin Books India on Friday offered its first explanation for its decision to withdraw the book, “The Hindus: An Alternative History,” by Wendy Doniger, which was released five years ago in India and the United States. Publishers must respect laws, “however intolerant and restrictive those laws may be,” the statement said. “We also have a moral responsibility to protect our employees against threats and harassment where we can.” [link]