“As a publisher's daughter, I particularly wince at the knowledge that the existing books (unless they are bought out quickly by people intrigued by all the brouhaha) will be pulped. But I do not blame Penguin Books, India,” she said.
She stated that other publishers have just quietly withdrawn other books without making the effort that Penguin made to save her book.
“Penguin, India, took this book on knowing that it would stir anger in the Hindutva ranks, and they defended it in the courts for four years, both as a civil and as a criminal suit,” she said.
“They were 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 jeopardizes the physical safety of any publisher, no matter how ludicrous the accusation brought against a book,” Doniger said.
Calling it a “ludicrous accusation” she referred to the petition that said she had hurt the religious feelings of millions of Hindus by declaring that “Ramayana is a fiction” and violated the provisions of the IPC.
The publisher has agreed to will pulp at its own cost “all recalled, withdrawn, unsold copies”.
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