- The Great Soul by Joseph Lelyveld: The Pulitzer Prize winning former executive editor of The New York Times wrote a biography of Mahatma Gandhi of his life in South Africa. Reacting to the sensational reviews in the Wall Street Journal, sine it contained obscene details of the Mahatma’s sexual life! The book was banned in Gujarat immediately after the controversy; it may soon be banned in the rest of the Country too!
- Nine Hours to Rama by Stanley Wolpert: In 1962, the Government of India banned the Novel, Nine Hours to Rama, by a scholar and a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. The book is a fictional account of the last say of Gandhi’s life which focuses on the Hindu Nationalist conspirators who plotted and carried out Gandhi’s assassination. It was banned because it suggested poor security at the venue of his assassination.
- The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie: Amongst the oldest, yet youngest controversy that has been a bone in the Country’s flesh for a while now! India was the first Country to ban the Book following the backlash from the Muslims all over the Globe. He has been in a hiding for over a decade. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini imposed a fatwa for denigrating Islam.
- Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry: Published in 1991, this Book was set in an atmosphere of political intrigue and corruption in India of 1970s. Mistry was nominated for the Booker Prize in Britain and won the Governor-General’s Prize in Canada. Last year Aditya Thackeray, the Grandson of Bal Thackeray , founder of Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena Party in Mumbai protested against the novel to the vice chancellor of the University of Mumbai for including the book on the English syllabus because it contained language that was derogatory to his party and Marathispeaking people.
- Riddles of Hinduism by Bhimrao Ambedkar: Ambedar, regarded as the architect of the Indian Constitution wrote the Riddles of Hinduism as a protest against the mal practices in the religion. He converted himself into a Buddhist to prevent himself from taking part in any of the practices. The Dalits follow him religiously since he spoke for their rights and against that which exploited them. The Hindu fanatics took it wrongly and thus banned it immediately after its launch!
