What madness is this?

On January 5, 2004, the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, one of the country’s oldest and most respected historical research facilities, was vandalized by the Sambhaji Brigade (apparently one of the wings or division of something called Shiv Mahotsav Samiti, evidently an organisation of complete moral and intellectual bankruptcy). They pretend to protect the memory of a Maratha king. But how is that memory served by the destruction of priceless manuscripts, document and books of great antiquity?  

“The remains of the day were damaged artefacts, mutilated manuscripts and inconsolable scholars. Twenty-five valuable manuscripts in Sanskrit, Pali and Ardh Magadhi were stolen. So were 11th century copper plates, spearheads, rare relics and a portrait of Shivaji acquired from a French museum. A clay tablet dating back to the Assyrian civilisation (600 BC) was completely destroyed. The SB activists also damaged a manuscript of the Mahabharata from 10 AD, palm leaf inscriptions, Vedic literature besides countless other books and manuscripts.” Harsh Kabra, A Taste of Bamiyan.

Heinrich Heine said, “Where they burn books they will, in the end, also burn human beings” — and he was right. We’re inching closer to a state of complete fascism and Nazism where no form of dissent, no alternative view is ever to be countenanced.

The pusillanimous State Government followed through with a ban on the book by James Laine (Shivaji: A Hindu King in Islamic India, published by OUP) that triggered the entire controversy. One leader (the dubious and politically agile Sharad Pawar) said that writers should be careful not to upset people. He said this at the Sahitya Sammelan, a literary conference! That the Prime Minister later lambasted the move is, perhaps, some solace to those who cherish their freedoms. But is it only a political gimmick with elections around the corner? The Chief Minister and an earlier, disgraced - and disgraceful - holder of that office both retaliated. They claim that a national hero has been disgraced. Now, of course, they don’t just want the ban. They want the book burned.

Heinrich Heine, are you there?

Apparently, the publishers and Laine have both been charged under the Indian Penal Code (quite apart from the charges on the vandals, which are justified and should succeed). Against the publisher and the author, the police have apparently invoked Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot) and Section 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony). On the face of it, the charges are absurd and ought to be thrown out. The freedom to express a considered view can never be the subject matter of either section. Did Laine write with the intention of causing a riot? How does his writing promote enmity between different groups (which groups?) on any grounds? His writing, per se is not prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony; the actions of the Sambhaji Brigade are.

More distressing still is Laine’s capitulation: He apologized in writing; and then completely recanted by saying that his book was stories, not history. Why did he do this?

And what does his book say? We are told there is an offensive passage on page 93. But what is that? Something about Shivaji’s paternity, apparently; but how worded? As historical truth or debunked speculation? And what does this tell us? Only that we can say nothing, do nothing, for fear of upsetting the lunatic fringe.

The only heartening thing is the almost universal condemnation of the attack and the unstinting support for the Institute from diverse quarters: slum children who raised Rs. 165, writers and artists, civil liberties groups, neighbours and students and now a chain email petition that calls for a silent meeting at the Institute at 9 am on Republic Day asking people to donate Re.1 to the Institute. Dilip Chitre wrote a superb article on the matter, and Harsh Kabra described it, rightly, as another Bamiyan.

It is certainly that, and more. Unless the Shiv Mahotsav Samiti and the Sambhaji Brigade are compelled by an enforceble court order to make reparations (and this can be against the leaders of those organisations personally), the rule of law in the state is itself under threat. This is the one astounding case where the guilty have not pleaded innocence, but justification; and for such an act of wanton destruction and vandalism there can be no justification whatever.