India court hears banned book case

The Bombay High Court reserved judgment on a petition against the banning of a book about Maratha warrior Shivaji written by American author James Laine, titled Shivaji - The Hindu King in Muslim India. The book had been banned in Jan. 2004 following the ransacking of Pune- based Bhadarkar Oriental Research Institute by activists of Sambhaji Brigade, a pro-Maratha body. The banning was justified on grounds that it incited enmity between different groups in the society, particularly "those who revere Shivaji and those who do not.” Lawyer Sanghraj Rupawate, documentary film maker Anand Patwardhan and social activist Kunda Pramila filed the petition against the ban.

Source: Cybernoon.com, March 26.