Kandhamal: Never Again: PRESS INVITE

 Sat, Aug 23, 2014 at 6:00 PM

On the 6^th anniversary of the Kandhamal carnage  

Courtesy  File Photo: Survivors deposing in front of the Jury

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Orissa witnessed unprecedented violence against the Christian minority in August 2008. On August 25, 2008, anti-Christian violence began on a big scale. It was systematic and widespread. It sounded as if preparation was already there just the pretext was being awaited.

On the 6^th anniversary of the Kandhamal carnage over 40 Delhi groups are coming together to organize a solidarity programme with the victims of the Kandhamal violence called-.

The programme will mark solidarity with the victims of kandhamal as well as all other victims of communal violence and make an appeal to stop communal violence across India.

There are senior speakers and performers who would join hands together to mark the 6^th anniversary of the Kandhamal communal carnage.

 

SPEAKERS:  include: Alwan Masih, Archbishop Anil Couto, Amitabh Behar, Colin Gonsalves, Enakshi Ganguly, Franklin Caesar Thomas, John Dayal, Miloon Kothari, Navaid Hamid, Paul Divakar, Razia Ismail, Ruth Manorama, Sehba Farooqui, Samuel Jaykumar, Sharada manohar Rao, Helen Saldana, Syeda Hameed, Vani  Subramaniam, Vrinda Grover

MUSIC AND POETRY: Dhruv Sangari, Gauhar Raza , Shephali Frost

The programme will be organised on August 25, 2014 from 3-7pm at Jantar Mantar

We request you to kindly send a reporter and a photographer/ camera crew to cover the programme.

 Yours sincerely

 Bhavna Sharma                  

8860125558

BURMA/MYANMAR: Journalists get ten years jail for writing on army

Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 6:48 AM
AHRC on conviction of journalists
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that four journalists who wrote an investigative article about an army facility in Burma have been sentenced to ten years in jail, along with their editor. The conviction is clearly intended to intimidate the print media in Burma, or Myanmar, at a time that the country is supposedly democratizing. 

CASE NARRATIVE: 

As we wrote in the original urgent appeal (AHRC-UAC-066-2014) the Unity Journal on 25 January 2014 published an article alleging that a military facility in Magway Region was being used for the making of chemical weapons. The officer responsible for the factory then brought a criminal case against the journal director and reporters for allegedly breaching state secrets, taking photographs of the facility without permission, and publishing the article without first obtaining approval. 

Despite the many obvious flaws in the case brought against the men, set out in that appeal, on July 10 a judge sentenced all five of them to ten years in jail. Observers to the trial have pointed out that throughout the court favoured the prosecution side, hearing 29 of its witnesses against only six for the defence, and that in its characteristics the court process was not significantly different from the period of direct military dictatorship. 

Further details of the case are in the sample letter below.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Despite the changed political conditions in Myanmar, still many journalists and writers are facing legal actions for doing nothing other than exercising their right to free expression. For instance, Ma Khine, a journalist with Eleven Media, was sentenced to jail over a story of alleged judicial corruption by accusing her of interfering with the duties of public service personnel. She served her full prison term. Journalist with the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) Ko Zaw Phay and parents of school children who tried to get information on choosing scholarship awards to go to Japan from the Magway Regional Education Office also were sentenced to one year’s imprisonment. And currently another four journalists from the Mondi news journal are facing charges over their reporting. Therefore, the Unity case is part of a larger project to intimidate and delimit the print media, which at present is the only independent media in Burma, since the broadcast media remains under direct control of the government in the case of television, or in the case of radio is either under directly control or closely monitored. 

REQUESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter condemning the men’s conviction and to call for their urgent release through the reversal of convictions. Please note that for the purposes of the letter Burma is referred to by its official name, Myanmar. 

Please be informed that the AHRC is writing separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteurs on Myanmar and on the independence of judges and lawyers, and to the regional human rights office for Southeast Asia calling for interventions into this case.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear …………….,

MYANMAR: Executive Director and Journalists of the Unity Journal given ten years jail for alleged leaking of state secrets

Names of persons being prosecuted: 
1. U Tint San aged 52 (Son of U Thein Tun), Executive Director of Unity Journal
2. Thae Yazar Oo aged 28 (Son of U Thein Maung Gyi), Senior Journalist
3. Paing Thet Kyaw (a.k.a.) Aung Thu Ya aged 25 (Son of U Aung Ko Lwin), Senior Journalist 
4. Si Thu Soe aged 22 (Son of U Win Hlaing), Senior Journalist
5. Lu Maw Naing (a.k.a.) Lin Kyaw Oo (a.k.a.) Lu Maw aged 28 (Son of U Maung Maung Kyi), Journalist for rural areas

Names of persons involved in prosecution:
1. Lt-Colonel Kyaw Kyaw Oo, Serial No. Kyi/28299, No. 24 Defence Material Factory, Myar Pine Village Tract, Pauk Township, Magway Region

Criminal Case: No. 4/2014, Pakkoku District Court, Judge U Maung Maung Htay presiding, all five accused sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with labour on 10 July 2014, accused 1-4 under section 3(1)(a) the Burma Official Secrets Act 1923, and accused 5 under sections 3(2)(a)/9. 

I condemn the sentencing of four journalists and a news editor to ten years in prison each under an antiquated law on state secrets and urge that the sentences be overturned and that they be released. 

According to the information that I have received, after the Unity Journal on 25 January 2014 published an article alleging that a military facility in Pauk Township of Magway Region was being used for the making of chemical weapons, the officer responsible for the factory, Lt-Col. Kyaw Kyaw Oo brought a criminal case against the journal director and reporters for allegedly breaching state secrets, taking photographs of the facility without permission, and publishing the article without first obtaining approval. 

On July 10 a district judge sentenced all five men to ten years in prison, one for allegedly attempting to obtain and retain official documents concerning the site, and the others on the charge under the Burma Official Secrets Act that, “If any person for any purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State approaches, inspects, passes over or is in the vicinity of, or enters, any prohibited place… he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend, where the offence is committed in relation to any work of defense, arsenal, naval, military or air force establishment or station, mine, minefield, factory, dockyard, camp, ship or aircraft or otherwise in relation to the naval, military or air force affairs of or in relation to any secret official code, to fourteen years…”

The many flaws in the case have already been brought to your attention. They include that the correct procedure was not followed in bringing the case; that the factory in question does not fall under the terms of the law used to convict the men; and, that three accused were allegedly forced to confess. It has also been pointed out that the men were acting in the national interest, not contrary to it, by reporting on an issue of national concern. 

In addition to the above, the case is clearly intended to threaten the media in Myanmar, and have a chilling effect on public debate. Presently the broadcast media remains under direct state control or is tightly monitored. Only the print media is able to communicate relatively freely on matters of national concern such as those that the journalists were working on in this instance. By convicting the five men, the court, acting on behalf of the military, is sending a signal that certain topics – including those that question the predominance of the army in all spheres of political and economic life, will not be tolerated. Indeed, the case is only one of a number currently going on against journalists in Myanmar. 

Therefore, I call for the reversal of these convictions and release of the five men at the earliest opportunity. I take the opportunity to note that it is not sufficient that the men be released through a presidential pardon, as have other persons in recent times, since the pardon keeps the conviction of the accused intact. These men have committed no crime. Not only do they not deserve to be in prison, but also they do not deserve to have a criminal record. Therefore, the sentences should not merely be pardoned but overturned completely. 

Lastly, it seems profoundly obvious yet necessary to add that the Burma Official Secrets Act 1923 is not up to date anymore and that it ought to be revoked or significantly amended to be made consistent with Myanmar’s new era of political and social change, and not to enable people who would prefer that the country remain stuck in the past to use it as a weapon against persons legitimately exercising the freedom of expression. 

Yours sincerely,

----------------

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Lt-Gen. Ko Ko
Minister for Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs
Office No. 10
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: +95 67 412 079/ 549 393/ 549 663
Fax: +95 67 412 439

2. U Thein Sein
President of Myanmar
President Office
Office No.18
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR

3. U Tun Tun Oo
Chief Justice
Office of the Supreme Court
Office No. 24
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: + 95 67 404 080/ 071/ 078/ 067 or + 95 1 372 145
Fax: + 95 67 404 059

4. Thura U Aung Ko
Chairman
Pyithu Hluttaw Judicial and Legislative Committee
Pythu Hluttaw Office
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR

5. U Aung Nyein
Chairman
Pyithu Hluttaw Judicial and Legislative Committee
Committee for Public Complaints and Appeals
Office of the Amyotha Hluttaw
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR

6. U Win Mra
Chairman
Myanmar National Human Rights Commission
27 Pyay Road
Hlaing Township
Yangon
MYANMAR
Tel: +95-1-659 668
Fax: +95-1-659 668

7. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Chairwoman
Pyithu Hluttaw Rule of Law and Tranquility Committee
Office of the Pyithu Hluttaw
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)

Invitation to cover seminar

 Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 3:30 PM

Ongoing conflict in Iraq – Its impact on India and world peace

Dear Madam/Sir,

The events in Iraq and other countries of the Middle East are a matter of grave concern for India and world peace.

To discuss this issue a seminar is being organized by the Indian Doctors for Peace and

Development and Social Thinkers’ Forum as per programme below:

Date: 12^th July 2014 (Saturday)

Time: 3.30pm to 4.30pm

Venue: Hotel Le Baron, Opp. PAU Gate No.2, Ferozepur Road,   Ludhiana

Sub: Ongoing conflict in Iraq – Its impact on India and world peace

Prof. Ajay Patnaik, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi will be the main speaker. His talk will be followed by discussion.

We request you to kindly cover the seminar

Implementation of Majithia Wage Board Recommendations

 Wed, May 14, 2014 at 7:11 PM

NAPM supports Struggle of Indian Express Newspapers Workers Union

New Delhi, May 14 : Indian Express Newspapers Workers Union has been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike from May 12, in front of the IE Building demanding implementation of the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board.

Majithia Board was constituted by the government of India to look into wages for the working journalists and non-journalists newspaper employees, whose recommendations were accepted by the government on October 25, 2011. This was further notified on November 11, 2011 in the Gazette of India. However, the Indian Newspaper Society, association of newspaper owners, challenged this in Supreme Court of India.

On February 7th, 2014 Chief Justice P Sathasivam on behalf of a three-member bench dismissed the contention of the INS and said the concept of ‘variable pay’ contained in the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission has been incorporated into the Wage Board recommendations to ensure that the wages of the newspaper employees are on a par with employees of other sectors. Such incorporation was made by the Majithia Wage Board after careful consideration, in order to ensure equitable treatment to employees of newspaper establishments, and it was well within its rights to do so.

Supreme Court had further ordered the owners to pay their employees the wages as revised / determined by the wage board payable from November 11, 2011, when the Government of India notified the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board. All the arrears up to March 2014 would be paid to the eligible persons in four equal instalments within a period of one year. The revised wages were to become payable from April 2014.

However, many of the newspapers have not implemented the order and forced workers to take the route of struggle.Workers of the Indian Express have been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike demanding that the recommendations of the Majithia Board are implemented as per the order of SC. However, in a clear case of contempt the Express Group Management has refused to do so.

National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) supports the struggle of the workers of Indian Express, who have come out openly and challenged the management. We have also learnt that workers in other major newspapers have also been denied their wages in accordance with the Majithia Board recommendations.

It is to be noted that the order impacts a large number of workers and their families given that India has more than 70,000 newspapers and over 690 satellite channels (more than 80 are news channels) and is the biggest newspaper market in the world - over 100 million copies sold each day.

Like in every sector today the newspaper industry employs a large number of workers on contract, making them vulnerable and taking away their right to wage a battle against the management. It is the same fear of loosing their jobs, which has prevented many to come out in open and challenge the newspaper industry. Majithia Board has made recommendations for the contractual as well as permanent staff too, which are yet to see its implementation.

NAPM supports the demand of the journalists and non-journalists who have often taken up the people's issues, at times, going against the increasing corporate control of media, thereby limiting the freedom and independence of media. We urge the management of the media houses to implement these recommendations and also demand that government take action against those who violate the labour norms and refuse to implement these recommendations.

It is extremely unfortunate that media, considered as fourth pillar of democracy, refuses to abide by the SC guidelines and also violate the rights of their own workers. It is nothing but another indication of the growing influence of the business houses and their greed for profit which is driving the media business today, pushing corporate agenda and restricting the space for people's issues.

As we stand in solidarity with the struggle of the workers of the various newspaper, we also demand them to join our struggle for a fair and independent media today, which will stand for the democratic values as enshrined in the Constitution.

Medha Patkar, Dr. Sunilam, Prafulla Samantara, Arundhati Dhuru, Gabriele Dietrich, Suniti S R, Suhas Kolhekar, Saraswati Kavula, C R Neelkandan, Kamyani Swami, Mahendra Yadav, Sister Celia, Krishnakant, Anand Mazgaonkar, Vilas Bhongade, Bhupender Singh Rawat, Vimal Bhai, Rajendra Ravi, Madhuresh Kumar, Seela M

PAKISTAN: World Press Freedom Day --

Sat, May 3, 2014 at 2:49 PM

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

57 journalists killed during the last 15 years

Courtesy photo

The United States, the United Kingdom and a delegation of the European Union on Friday called upon the Government of Pakistan to resolutely defend media freedom in the country, adding that gags on the media and attacks on journalists were not acceptable.

While marking the World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, the European Union Delegation, in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Pakistan, expressed in a statement its deep concern over the steadily deteriorating environment for media freedom in Pakistan. The EU delegation said that Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.

May 3, was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day by the UN General Assembly in 1993. This year’s theme for this day, as declared by the UN, is “Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the post-2015 Development Agenda”.

Amnesty International in its statement of April 30 said that journalists in Pakistan live under the constant threat of death, harassment and other violence from all sides, including the intelligence services, political parties and armed groups like the Taliban. Pakistan’s media community is effectively under siege. Journalists, in particular those covering national security issues or human rights, are targeted from all sides in a disturbing pattern of abuses carried out to silence their reporting. The spy agency has been implicated in numerous abductions, torture and killings of journalists, but no serving ISI officials has ever been held to account which effectively allows it to continue to operate beyond the reach of the law. Human rights violations against journalists by the ISI often follow a familiar pattern that starts with threatening phone calls and escalates into abductions, torture and other ill-treatment, and in some cases extrajudicial killings.

The World Press Freedom Index 2014, issued by the international non-governmental organisation “Reporters without Borders” earlier this year, termed Pakistan “..... the world’s deadliest country for media personnel”, adding that for the second year running, the Indian sub-continent is the Asian region with the biggest rise in violence for journalists. The index calls the targeted nature of the violence “the most disturbing development”. The report ranked Pakistan at the 158th position out of 180 countries.

It is evidently true, as far as the government is concerned that Pakistan is not the deadliest country in the world for journalists. They claim that dozens of media houses are operating freely and that the media has never enjoyed such freedom in its history. However, every year on average a dozen journalists are killed and many are injured by the attacks from Muslim banned organisations, extremists and secret spy agencies run by the military establishment. Many journalists have told various quarters that they would be attacked or killed by state intelligence agencies particularly by the notorious ISI. The Taliban and other Muslim fundamentalist’s organisations are operating freely and they monitor the broadcasting of every television channel and try to dictate their policies. In most cases the owners of the media houses follow their instructions. But the lives of individual journalist remain at the mercy of the militant organisations without protection even from their employers. The governments always want to remain as silent spectators as if the protection of journalists or media houses is not their responsibility.

The year 2014 started with the killing and attack on journalists. On January 1, Mr. Shan Dahar, the reporter of Abb Takk television was shot dead while filming near a pharmacy in Larkana. He had already produced one story on prescription drugs being illegally resold in the town, and was taking video of a package bearing a "not for resale" label on it shortly before he was shot dead.

On January 17, Gunmen riding on motorcycles shot dead three Express News workers on Friay after ambushing a stationary DSNG van in a busy neighbourhood of Karachi. This was the third and most lethal strike on Express Media Group and its staff in the space of five months. In two previous attacks, the main offices of Express Media Group, were targeted. The January 17’s ambush took the lives of a technician, security guard and a driver, all of whom were seated in the front of the van. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the latest attack in a live telephone call from Afghanistan to Express News.

From January 2013 to date, 17 journalists were attacked and injured either by the intelligence agencies, beaten and tortured by police or by injured by violent people while covering processions and rallies. Other journalists mentioned in the report are living under the dangling swords of life threats. The authorities were least bothered about conducting investigation in the matter except in the case of Hamid Mir, who was attacked by unknown persons while he was coming from Karachi airport during the tight security arrangements for former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

On March 28, Raza Rumi, a prominent journalist and anchorperson from Express News channel has survived an assassination attempt but his driver was killed. He left the country as he found no security or protection from the government. The Taliban has accepted the responsibility for the attack which has given a good excuse to the government that they can not provide protection as the Taliban is beyond the reach of the law enforcement agencies including the military intelligence agencies.

On April 6, Jamshed Baghwan, Peshawar bureau chief of Express News was been targeted for the second time this year. A bag with 2.5kg of explosives was found outside his house, and on April 6, grenades were thrown at his residence. Baghwan says every day his mother and colleagues tell him to leave the country as they do not find any protection from the law enforcement agencies.

On April 19, a prominent journalist and anchorperson of Geo TV was attacked by unknown persons and he was critically injured by six bullets. He and his family members accused the ISI and its chief general Zaheerul Islam for the attempt to kill him. The military establishment, instead of, conducting inquiries against the allegations rather file a petition before the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to cancel the license of Geo TV for hurling the blame on ISI. The ISI and military establishment are using banned Muslim terrorists organisations and its paid politicians to agitate on the streets in favour of military and the ISI.

On May 2, a Geo TV News cameraman was subjected to thrashing and a bid was made to snatch his camera. Geo News cameraman Asif Kabir was going to the channel’s office located in Model Town A, Bahawalpur, Punjab, when three bike riders wearing helmets intercepted him. The three men called him a traitor and an Indian agent and assaulted him. They injured badly but no case has been filed by the local police.

During the year 2013, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) documented that 13 journalists were killed while performing their duties. 55 journalists have been killed in the line of duty in Pakistan in the last ten years, and 36 of them were deliberately targeted and murdered because of their work, says the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in its latest report. The PPF say, for every journalist who has been deliberately targeted and murdered, there are many others who have been injured, threatened and coerced into silence. Sadly, the perpetrators of violence against journalists and media workers enjoy almost absolute impunity in Pakistan. This is seriously hampering press freedom in the country.

In the country the media freedom is fragile. Journalists are being harassed or killed for doing their work, publications are being censored or shut down, and laws are being passed which criminalise free speech. This reality does not change on the Internet. Along with the jobs offered by the network, new obstacles emerge: content filtering, monitoring and suspension of Internet access, often without due regard to individuals’ fundamental rights.

The judiciary, which is always looking for the political cases to shut up the democratically elected governments by using Suou Moto actions while the government fail to control the spy agencies and its cronies for the attacks on journalists and escape from their responsibilities for the protection and suitability of the freedom of expression which is the basis of a democratic society.

The AHRC calls upon the military establishment to halt the use of coercive actions on the freedom of expression and press as if it is continued it would lead to the defeat of the military in the hands of unarmed media persons. The Government of Pakistan must ensure that all abuses committed against journalists are duly investigated and that appropriate action is taken against perpetrators while the public is provided with information on the outcome of enquiries.

The government must defend media freedom, this being an important component of the freedom of expression as defined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and in the Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

Hundreds of Congress workers join AAP in Ludhiana west

Media waited more than two hours to cover the event
All workers led by Balraj Singh Sekhon

Ludhiana: 16 March 2014: (Rector Kathuria//The Media Screen): 
Causing a big loss for the Congress party, hundreds of Congress leaders and workers led by Balraj Singh Sekhon, an old Congress leader and its former state secretary, today, joined Aam Admi Party (AAP) and vowed to support AAP candidate from Ludhiana Advocate Harvinder Singh Phoolka. Media persons waited more than two hours to cover this event.
Balraj Sekhon said, “Corruption is a major concern of our country and countrymen severely suffer of this and want to get rid of it. Since Congress and other main stream parties are directly responsible for it, we should reject them and support AAP whose president Arvind Kejriwal triggered an unprecedented movement against mass level graft.”

“AAP is a new ray of hope for marginalized sections of the society. That is why, we have joined this party and we appeal to all to do so, if we want to save our country”, he said, adding that due to its anti-graft stand, Congress and BJP backed by Ambani and other corporates did not let Kejriwal remain in power.
Along with him, other senior Congress leaders namely Tejpal Prashar, former block president of the party, Jarnail Singh Cheema, Kimi Pradhan, Numberdar Gurmail Singh, Rooplal, Gujjar Singh also joined AAP besides hundreds of Congress workers.
While interacting with the new members of AAP, Phoolka said, “Where on one hand the Akali-BJP government are implementing “Gunda Raaj” in Punjab thereby frightening the people, the Congress on the other hand in the Center has adopted a pro-corporate and anti-people policies which pave the way for more corruption and reduced development for the people”.

Authors, writers’ groups denounce withdrawal of Doniger book

From the wall of Narinder Kumar Jeet who shared a link on Facebook on 15th Feb late night 

PTI
Journalist and author Siddharth Varadarajan, along with academic and author Jyotirmaya Sharma, ask Penguin to pulp their books and revert copyright.
Denouncing Penguin’s decision to withdraw US scholar Wendy Doniger’s book, authors and activists on Saturday said it is a campaign to drown all questioning voices and prepare the ground for a chauvinistic and communal presentation of history and culture.

American author Wendy Doniger (Courtesy:The Hindu)

In a statement on Saturday, the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) said the “surrender” of the publisher in an out-of-court settlement, which involves the withdrawal of Prof. Doniger’s book ‘The Hindus: An Alternative History’ and the pulping of its copies, has rightly “aroused much disquiet.” 

The statement has been signed by Irfan Habib, C P Chandrasekhar, Mridula Mukherjee, M K Raina, Ram Rahman, Jayati Ghosh, Zoya Hasan among others.
“The event has, however, a still more sinister aspect. It is, clearly an early salvo in the renewed campaign to drown all questioning voices and prepare the ground for a full-fledged chauvinistic and communal presentation of our history and culture with no quarter allowed to dissenting voices,” the SAHMAT statement said.
“The next step, as some newspaper reports already suggest, is to extend the net of censorship and use government machinery, wherever available, to extend to school and college textbooks the same kind of misinformation, chauvinistic claims and denigration of other religions and cultures that we had seen during the past BJP-led regime at the centre,” it said.
“It is, therefore, necessary not only to condemn what has happened in regard to the ‘Hindus, an Alternative History’, especially the pusillanimity of the publisher, but also to redouble our vigilance in regard to what is still to come,” Sahmat said.
Meanwhile, author and journalist Siddharth Varadarajan tweeted that he along with Jyotirmaya Sharma “have asked Penguin to pulp our books and revert copyright so we can deal with any would-be bullies on our own terms.”
In his letter to Penguin, Mr. Varadarajan said he found “most unconvincing”, the statement released by the publisher that said it was taking the decision to withdraw the book as it has a moral responsibility to protect its “employees against threats and harassment“.
“As an author I no longer have the confidence that Penguin will stand by my book ‘Gujarat: The Making of a Tragedy’ published by you in 2002 — in the event that some group or individual should decide to demand that it be withdrawn because they feel it violates (Section) 295,” Mr. Varadarajan said.
He asked the publisher to cancel the contract and pulp all remaining copies of his book and revert copyright for the book “so that I may freely distribute it electronically without the fear of any future arbitrary withdrawal by Penguin in the face of pressure from the sort of intellectual bullies who have managed to have their way with Prof Doniger’s book.”
Previously this week, Booker Prize winning author Arundhati Roy had written an open letter to Penguin asking it to explain “what is it that scared you so? Have you forgotten who you are? You are part of one of the oldest, grandest publishing houses in the world.”
Members of the Indian chapter of PEN international, a writers group, have also released a statement.
“Choosing to settle the matter out of court, instead of challenging an adverse judgement, narrows India’s intellectual discourse and significantly undermines freedom of expression,” said members of the PEN All-India Centre in Mumbai and the PEN Delhi Centre.
“We do not know why Penguin took the decision and expect the publisher to be transparent about the circumstances in which it made the decision, which comes at a time when Indian publishers have faced waves of threats from litigants, vigilante groups, and politicians,” it said.
It pointed out that previously author Siddharth Deb’s book “The Beautiful and The Damned” was published without its first chapter because of a lawsuit and Bloomsbury India had withdrawn from circulation Jitender Bhargava’s book, “The Descent of Air India“.
“Sahara Group is suing Tamal Bandyopadhyay, author of ’Sahara: The Untold Story.’ Foreign publishers have not distributed an English translation of ‘The Red Saree,’ a book loosely based on Sonia Gandhi’s life,” the statement said.
Stressing that they are committed to free speech and expression it said, “The removal of books from our bookshops, bookshelves, and libraries, whether through state-sanctioned censorship, private vigilante action, or publisher capitulation are all egregious violations of free speech that we shall oppose in all forms at all times.”
The Hindu News » National New Delhi, February 15, 2014

Authors, writers’ groups denounce withdrawal of Doniger book

www.thehindu.com

Journalist and author Siddharth Varadarajan, along with academic and author Jyotirmaya Sharma, ask Penguin to pulp their books and...