23 Jan, 2015
Silencing Authors in India – NYTimes.com
The story of the latest victim of censorship by intimidation in India, the Tamil-language author Perumal Murugan, was taken up by the Madras High Court on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Mr. Murugan posted a poignant statement on his Facebook page: “Perumal Murugan, the writer is dead.” This was after he had been hounded by right-wing Hindu groups, had met with local authorities and had agreed to withdraw copies of his novel from sale. The author’s plight has provoked an outpouring of support from readers and writers in India.
Activists affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Hindu right-wing group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had called for the book to be banned because it offended them. Weeks of threatening phone calls to Mr. Murugan culminated in late December with a mob burning copies of the novel in the town where it is set.
Read the rest: Silencing Authors in India – NYTimes.com.
Loading ...
Liked this article? Share it!