Unilateral ban on any book unacceptable: writers

‘Government’s decision to ban Valmiki Yaaru? contrary to draft cultural policy’

July 30, 2014 11:14 pm | Updated 11:14 pm IST - BANGALORE:

The government’s decision to ban the book Valmiki Yaaru? by K.S. Narayanacharya comes when the draft of the State’s first-ever cultural policy has advised against “unilaterally” banning any work of literature.

A panel headed by writer Baragur Ramachandrappa had recommended that an experts’ committee has to examine the issue before deciding on banning or confiscating a book.

Prof. Ramachandrappa told The Hindu that Valmiki Yaaru? — which says Valmiki was a Brahmin by birth and not a Beda (hunter) as traditionally believed — has “ulterior motives” and was “full of absurdities.” However, he asserted his opposition to “any arbitrary decision on confiscating or banning a literary work without referring it to a committee of experts.”

These views were echoed by writer and chairperson of the Kannada Book Authority Banjagere Jayaprakash, whose book Anudeva Horaganavanu was banned in 2007. “We can disagree and quarrel with the arguments in a book, but banning it without so much as an inquiry amounts to killing space for any democratic dialogue,” he said, and added that he disagreed with Mr. Narayanacharya’s views on Valmiki’s birth.

Interestingly, Mr. Jayaprakash’s book faced a ban for arguing that the 12th Century poet-philosopher Basaveshwara was not a Brahmin by birth. Though a committee had ruled against the ban of Anudeva Horaganavanu, the then government had gone ahead and banned it.

Minister of State for Kannada and Culture Umashree defended the decision on banning Valmiki Yaaru? stating that cases had been booked against the author in various districts. She said the government had “not yet announced” the cultural policy and only the draft had been submitted.

Leader of the Legislative Council S.R. Patil said the decision was taken “in the interest of law and order, based on the reports received by the Home Ministry.”

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T.B. Jayachandra asserted that the government could ban a book “if it goes against the spirit of the Constitution.”

Ms. Umashree had initially proposed to set up a committee to review the contents of the book, but later announced the ban following vociferous protests on the floor of the House.

In 2013, many litterateurs, including Girish Karnad, Mr. Ramachandrappa and C.N. Ramachandra, had demanded repealing or amending sections of the Indian Penal Code that are detrimental to freedom of speech and expression. This was after Yogesh Master, author of the controversial novel Dhundi , became the first writer to be arrested in Karnataka under Section 295(A) of the IPC (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).

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