At a glance: Books that have been banned in India

New Delhi: Freedom of speech and expression is an integral part of our constitution but the governments of the day have always taken the stand that this freedom can't be absolute and that one has to take into consideration the sensitivities of different sections of the people while exercising the right to freedom of speech and expression. That's why different governments in India, both pre and post independence, decided to ban certain books that they found inimical to peace and harmony in the society.Here we are compiling a list of books that have been banned in India by different governments:1. Rangila Rasul: Rangila Rasool is an Urdu term and in English stands for 'Promiscuous Prophet'. Rangila Rasul is a controversial book written by Krishan Prashaad Prataab in 1927, published in Lahore, then India, now Pakistan by the publisher Raj Pal. The controversy about the book was that, it described the relationship of Prophet Mohammad with women, marriage and sex.Rangila Rasul is originally written in Urdu. It is banned in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.Because of complaints lodged by Muslims, publisher Raj Pal was arrested and charged under 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). As there was no law against blasphemy, Raj Pal was aquitted in 1929.Meanwhile, several attempts were made by the Muslims to kill Raj Pal for publishing the controversial book ‘Rangila Rasool'. And finally he was murdered by a Muslim youth Ilm-ud-din on April 6, 1929.Later, Ilm-ud-din was sentenced to death on 31st October, 1929 after a judicial trail.2. The Face of Mother India: ‘The Face of Mother India' was written by Katherine Mayo, an American historian. 'The Face of Mother India' was her best know work; it described the racism in India and opposed Indian independence from British rule. The book commented on the racism as well as miserable condition of the Indian women, prostitution in India, treatment towards the Dalits in the Indian society and a sexually weak society. The Face of Mother India was written in support of British India and British rule in India and opposed the fight for independent India. The book and the author faced severe criticism. The effigy of the author Mayo along with the book was burned in many parts of the world including India. It was highly criticized by Mahatma Gandhi as well.3. Rama Retold: It was amongst the first books to be banned in independent India. Rama Retold, a satire on the epic Ramayana, was written by Aubrey Menen.Rama Retold is a satire on Ramayana, which provokes religious feelings. Hindu devotees were horrified by the liberties author took with a sacred text and it was banned in India for some years.4. Ayesha: Ayesha or originally Aischa, a controversial book was authored by Kurt Frischler in 1963.The book's original German title was Aischa: Mohammed's Lieblingfrau (Aischa: Mohammed's Favorite Wife). This book is banned and cannot be imported into India.5. An Area of Darkness: An Area of Darkness, a book by V. S. Naipaul in 1964, is a collection of experiences which the author had while traveling in India in the 60's.The book describes the worst aspect of things prevailing in India in the early 60's.An Area of Darkness invited an immediate ban in India for its negative portrayal of India and its people.It was the first of Naipaul's acclaimed Indian trilogy which includes India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.6. India Independent: Another book that created a controversy in India was India Independent, written by Charles Bettelheim in 1976.The book criticized the policies made by the Indian Government after independence.It was banned for criticizing the policies of the Indian government.7. The Satanic Verses: The Satanic Verses, written by Salman Rushdie in 1988, created a big controversy across the world. The book is fourth novel by Salman Rushdie. The major controversy ensued as conservative Muslims accused it of blasphemy and mocking their faith. India was the first country to ban this book.Muslims felt outraged by Salman Rushdie's book a 'fatwa' was issued against him by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Supreme Leader of Iran, on 14 February 1989.Rushdei escaped many assassination attacks on his life and was under police protection for many years.The title refers to the satanic verses, a set of alleged Quranic verses that allow a prayer to God on behalf of somebody else to be made to three Pagan Meccan goddesses.8. The Moor's Last Sigh: Authored by Salman Rushdei in 1995, the Moor's Last Sigh is based on the real life event near Bombay and Cochin. The book describes the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the 1993 Bombay bombings, the gangster and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, as well as modern Indian political players and organizations like Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena.The title of the book "The Moor's Last Sigh" is taken from the story of Boabdil (Abu Abdullah Muhammed), the last Moorish king of Granada.The book had many reasons to be banned in India as Shiv Sena, a political party in Maharashtra, protested over a character that resembled Bal Thackeray.The book also mentions a dog called, Jawaharlal, named after India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.A local publisher in India- Rupa & Co. approached the Supreme Court of India as they were asked to stop selling the book. The court declared the ban unconstitutional in February 1996.Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, however, unofficially banned the book.9. The True Furqan: The True Furqan, writen by Al Saffee, Al Mahdee in 1999 faced a fierce protest. The book mentions the Quran, the holy book of Muslims and also incorporates the teachings of Christianity. The book mainly mocked the Islam.The protestors described the book as "a pathetic attempt to distort the Quranic teaching."Some Islamic believers alleged that "The True Furqan" was created by the American or Israeli governments as part of a conspiracy, whereas, some American-Muslims called the book a "hoax".The book has been banned in India as it was considered derogatory to the spiritual and religious beliefs of the Muslims.10. Santsurya Tukaram and Loksakha Dnyaneshwar: A book by Anand Yadav, Santsurya Tukaram and Loksakha Dnyaneshwar, allegedly made derogatory comments on the saints. The author faced protest accross India.Complaints were filed against the author Anand Yadav in Pune Court, India, and the court banned the book, keeping in mind the religious sentiments of the people.Later, Anand Yadav expressed regret and tendered public apology for hurting emotions of people and withdrew the novel.The book was banned in India for disrespectful attitude towards saints and hurting the emotions of the people across country.