Right to get offended

B L Saraf
Pursuant   to  the out of court agreement,   Penguin, the publishers, have withdrawn  from sales Wendy  Doniger’s book   The  Hindus : An Alternative History. A Delhi based  organisation, Shiksha  Bachao Andolan Samiti,  having felt aggrieved  of the contents of the book, had commenced  legal action against the publishers . It  felt the book is violating  Hindu religious belief and thought.  The   liberals, as usual,  are up in arms against the  action of the publishers as also   those who sought the book’s withdrawal  from publication .  Though   the blame has been laid at the door steps    of  Hindu  ‘ bigots’,  yet    wrath is directed acutely at the Penguin for   having,  what they call, capitulated  to a ‘ bigoted litigant  who  shouts” offence  ”    and  answers are  sought for its   ‘ abject  surrender.’ The libertarians say that the publishers should have thought it their     ‘irrevocable  duty ‘  to stand for the defence of free speech and resisted the move to withdraw this   book from the book shelves.  The  incurably   jaundiced ‘ progressives ‘have gone   that far to suggest that  Penguin  has succumbed  to the risingpolitical  fortunes of “fascist” Narendra  Modi.
The reviewers of the book inform us that  it  has focussed  on sexuality  component available in a particular   Hindu scripture .  The liberals see nothing objectionable in it  and   put forth  Kaam Sutra  and nude   depictions  in Ajanta and Elora caves as examples.
Well, describing sexuality  in   juxtaposition with other relevant matters is one thing and to  concentrate on it  exclusively in a sensitive  matter of a religion  is quite another.  In the latter case   appeal  may be to the baser  instincts.  The   Eastern societies are not  that open to  the subtleties  as may be the case with Western societies. And there is nothing to  feel ashamed of it. One must understand that we live in a world where cultural divide is profound.  At a time when we  hear   cries  of  War on Terror and  shrill   discourse  on   Clash of Civilizations, the divide has generated a serious conflict   among   cultures  having different values. Therefore, it becomes all the more imperative for a country,  like India  , which lives  in  the  diverse societies to  show  respect for   cultural  sensibilities  of its citizen  and ensure   a  harmonious living  of   all. We have  lived  with   these cultural diversities  for long. But, even after 65 years of free and independent existence India has not fully evolved as a nation . In most  communities sense of one – nation is still missing. Despite best efforts  to harmonise,   we continue to live  in  a  riven  and strife torn  atmosphere. Communal and caste fault lines are  too obvious   to be  ignored.   They can ignite at any time with catastrophic consequences. That apart, the world  is full of conflicts. Our part  of it is most affected. Under these circumstances  we have to  tread cautiously.  Freedom  of  speech  is good.  But maintaining  public order and communal harmony is of  paramount importance. Sometimes, reasonable restrictions   on  this right become desirable. Some  may consider   it a  distressing  pattern but  to  the most people the restraint may  come as a  relief.   Remember,  it  is not always prudent to  condone ,  on   modernity  and forward looking    principle, all  that causes hurt to the  religious sensitivities of  vast majority of the  people.
Aping  others won’t  help. In this context, it will be most appropriate here to recall what  the scholar Judge, Justice Y  R  Krishna Iyer (a staunch votary of       liberal thought) has   said in 1971   when he was   a   Judge of  the  Kerala High Court. While   analysing marital  rights of Muslim spouses in the  background of  Mohammadan Law   the learned Judge  said  :
” ………..Marginal distortions are inevitable when judicial Committee in Downing Street has to interpret Manu of India  and Mohammad of Saudi Arabia. The soul of culture the law is largely the formulized and enforceable  expression of  cultural norms – cannot be fully understood by alien minds   ….”  A I R   1971   Kerala   261   Para 7
No matter how  much  scholarship a foreign author may    possess, they  need to be extra cautious to understand the religious and cultural sensitivities  of the natives. What is true of understanding   of  local  law by the aliens could , very well, be true about their understanding of the  local  sensitivities. Indeed, the wise words of  Justice Iyer would always  sound true. It has become fashionable for few to deride   some features  of our   traditional   beliefs. The same  bunch  of ‘ liberals’, who have come to the defence of author Wendy  Doniger,  cried hoarse when the Apex  Court  ruled in favour of  retaining Section  377   IP C  on the Statue book. Hue and cry was raised to denounce  traditional voices; forgetting  that  even,  today ,  in  the   permissive Europe  serious opposition does exist to the LSBT  relations. No less a person than Pope Benedict  – XVI    has publicly  campaigned against such relations.
In the Indian society where religious  beliefs are, generally,  held dear  and   very   sacrosanct, right   to  give offence  on religious matters  can  wait for some time. But right to get  offended, in this regard , has to  be  recognised   and protected earnestly.
(The author is Former Principal District & Sessions Judge)

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