Mar
17
I was amazed to see how much virulent abuse my counter petition in support of Wendy Doniger received from mostly NRI Hindus (see some of the comments in my earlier post). Both petitions I tried to run were attacked with multiple entries describing vulgar connotations, orgies, sexual perversions and more. This is the wonder of free speech. Unfortunately I had to shut down the petition sites due to all the abuse I received but we did receive 44 great signatories before that happened and the support of that most hated of Indian intellectuals Salman Rushdie who also spoke in support of Wendy’s right to write the book.
I do not know Wendy myself, nor do I belong to RISA or any other organization. I am a practitioner of Advaita Vedanta as taught by Swami Vivekananda and I belong to the school of Hindu philosophy that supports the thesis that all paths lead to the same truth and promotes the idea of inquiry, questioning and personal experience. I also belong to an India where we have always had voices of dissent, questioning and reform in our religion. Whether you think of the Upanishadic seers or Shankaracharya or Vivekananda and so many others. Why should new ideas be banned.
I hope and pray that the book is not banned as it will be the end of the freedom we so love in India and around the world as Indians who believe in debate, discourse and intelligent arguments.
I look forward to a calming of waters but at the same time I continue to support the right for Wendy Doniger to not only write the book but have us all discuss and debate it in the future.
Posted in Freedom of Speech, Mythology, News "Wendy Doniger" Dissent Freedom of Speech Hindu The Hindus
Mar
09
I am shocked to see that thousands of Hindus and Indians are gathering online in a Taliban like way to force the withdrawal of Wendy Doniger’s excellent book “The Hindus: An Alternative History” published by Penguin.
The petition for the withdrawal of the book can be read at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/dharma10/petition.html – where it describes the book as insulting and hurtful to Hindus and Indians everywhere. That is ridiculous.
In reaction to this I have launched a counter petition at http://petol.org/THAAH123 with a point by point response to their erroneous analysis and would be grateful if you could let everyone you know about this.
This petition is a counter response to the shameful demand for the withdrawal or banning of this excellent book. I support much of what the book purports and even more importantly I support Wendy Doniger’s right to write, publish and propagate her opinion without the misplaced intervention of xenophobes and Indic or Hindu arrogance. I urge Penguin not to succumb to the pressure of this group and instead encourage them to take the high road as well as the path taken by most Hindus throughout history and allow for the free exchange of ideas, discussion and dialogue. We are an inclusive faith and an ever-absorbing people and do not condone xenophobia or prejudice of this kind.
Wendy is being awarded at the National Book Critics Center Awards in New York at 6pm on Wednesday 10th March 2010 – there are planned protests in support of her book as well as one planned by USHA against the book. Please come out and support Wendy if you are in NYC.
Thank you for joining this cause. The petition is at http://petol.org/THAAH123.
Thank you all lovers of free speech and Hindu tolerance.
Raja Choudhury
New Delhi
raja@c3cube.com
+91 9871586502
Posted in Freedom of Speech, Knowledge, Sexuality, Society "ALternate History" "Wendy Doniger" Hindu Petition Taliban
