New Delhi: The Karnataka government has banned rationalist and author K. S. Bhagawan’s book Rama Mandira Yeke Beda (‘Why Ram Mandir is not needed’) from its public libraries, according to a report in the Indian Express.
“The book may hurt public sentiments and I will not encourage this kind of book in public libraries,” education minister S. Suresh Kumar said.
The Public Library Book Selection Committee, led by Kannada writer Doddarange Gowda, withdrew its recommendation to purchase the book after Hindutva right-wing activists organised a social media campaign against the book.
In a statement on Tuesday, the committee said that the book, which is a collection of critical essays on the epic Ramayana and the politics around Ram temple, was excluded from the selection list because ‘it hurt religious sentiments of a section of society’.
“Later a review petition was filed by the publisher and the committee decided to recommend it for purchase. Though the book hurt sentiments, we thought the book could be part of our public libraries, providing readers various points of views,” Gowda said. However the committee decided to withdraw its recommendation after objections were raised, Gowda said.
As many as 10,571 books were selected for purchase in 2018. From September 2020 to December 2020, 10 meetings were held and the list was scrutinised. The committee finally selected 5,109 books.
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“I oppose the dropping of my book from the library purchase list and public libraries are for all and everyone has the right to read all the arguments. The government cannot hold public libraries hostage to one ideology,” Bhagawan said, speaking to the national daily.
“My book has already seen three editions in two years and now it is going for a fourth edition. My intention is not to hurt any religious sentiments of the people if you read the book, I have only written things within the precincts of Valmiki Ramayana,” he said.
Bhagawan retired as a teacher of English literature from Maharaja’s College in Mysuru.
The Hindu Jagran Vedike had previously filed a complaint against Bhagawan in 2019 for his line on Ram drinking “intoxicants” and sought a ban on the book in which the remark had been made.
Bhagawan has also received threats on social media in the past, after the murder of scholar and former Kannada University Vice-Chancellor M.M. Kalburgi in Dharwad on August 30, 2015.
After the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh in 2017, the Karnataka SIT’s investigation uncovered a plot to kill Bhagawan, which was foiled just in time by the arrest of a Hindu Yuva Sena member.
Bhagawan has also said that members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and BJP had recently visited his house to collect funds for the Ram temple. “In a respectful manner I welcomed them and told them I will not give money to build Ram temple, and suggested they read my book,” he added.
