An alternative history will be withdrawn and pulped in india, thanks to a. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india the book was criticized in india, and in february 2014 it was the subject of litigation in. Seventythreeyearold doniger is an american jewish indologist who has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. Her book seems to conjure up facts and dates that dont jibe with any historical consensus, and the list of errors has been dissected by both academic and lay scholars. Why the outrage on wendy donigers controversial book.
An alternative history by wendy doniger of the university of chicago is really not a history at all. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india. Feb, 2014 penguin books india agreed this week to withdraw from sale and pulp all copies of the hindus. A rightwing religious group criticized wendy donigers 2009 book, the hindus. What exactly is wendy donigers agenda about the hindu. As an indianamerican with an inherent love for academia, i picked up this book with high hopes, especially after i noticed it had won a few awards.
Soon we might see peoples facebook profile pictures being replaced by the cover of. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. Wendy donigers book on hinduism the right wing muslims made such a fuss about salman rushdie, most of them did not even read the book satanic verses, or even know that it was in english. And while shes delighted about it, the professor of history of religions at university of chicago is wary of coming to the country. Mar 20, 2014 india braces for wendy doniger s the bedtrick. Wendy doniger is the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions at the university of chicago and the author of over 30 books, most recently the hindus. For anyone seeking a deeper and more nuanced understanding of hinduism, this book is a must read. Wendy doniger has 73 books on goodreads with 35307 ratings. Indian publishers nervous about taking books that might.
My social media feed is filled with agitated people posting links to sites from where one can download wendy donigers the hindus. Doniger, 73, is a jewish american indologist and has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. Days after penguin india agreed to pulp wendy donigers book the hindus to settle a court dispute with dina nath batra of shiksha bachao andolan samiti, another major publishing house aleph book company on monday said they will not reprint donigers book on hinduism until an acceptable resolution is found. May 07, 20 through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of hinduism, enlarges our understanding. An alternative history has outraged hindus around the world, insulting indians and offending hindus. Penguin india agrees to withdraw and destroy all copies of an. Us author wendy donigers controversial book the hindus. An alternative history had been the subject of a legal challenge claiming the text was offensive to. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. She would differ with you on this, and says in her book that the differences between what hindus believe is greater than what is common. She frames the debate over her book, as well as other topics when it comes to hinduism, as one between hindu rightwing activists and scholars. This is the first part of a scholarly critique of wendy donigers the hindus.
The hindus an alternative history is an utterly wonderful book. An alternative history penguin, 2009 has outraged hindus around the world for allegedly insulting and offending hindus and indians. An alternative history, which had created a stir among various rightwing groups over. The ring of truth, like all of wendy donigers books, is an astonishing and hugely satisfying work of scholarship rendered in compulsively readable prose.
India braces for wendy donigers latest book msnmail today. Bibek debroy, the indian express with her vast erudition, insight, and graceful writing laced with gentle wit, there is no one better than wendy doniger to convey the richness, depth and diversity of hindu texts and traditions to international audiences. According to the hindustan times, the hindus was a no. Penguin books india has promised to withdraw all copies of wendy donigers book the hindus penguin books india has caved in rather than defend its author wendy doniger, philologist and university of chicago professor, for her book the hindus. Through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of. Penguin india agrees to withdraw and destroy all copies of an american scholar s book on hindus. You apparently think that the the chandellas are not true hindus, which hightlight a key difference between your ilk and ms. And while she s delighted about it, the professor of history of religions at university of chicago is wary of coming to the country.
Since doniger does not follow the established canons of historiography, her book, the hindus cannot be called a work of history. Indologist kees bolle has observed that donigers approach lacks philosophical vigor that is highly visible in hinduism. Wendy doniger s book on hinduism the right wing muslims made such a fuss about salman rushdie, most of them did not even read the book satanic verses, or even know that it was in english. Wendy donigers enthralling and encyclopaedic book reveals her vision of a hindu culture that is plural, varied, generous, and inclusive. Penguin books india agreed this week to withdraw from sale and pulp all copies of the hindus. An alternative history a staggeringly comprehensive book. Copies of american scholar wendy donigers the hindus. Feb 17, 2014 wendy doniger s the hindus is a classic example of leftliberal scholarship on hinduism. Us author wendy doniger s controversial book the hindus. Soon we might see peoples facebook profile pictures being replaced by the cover of her soontobepulped book.
It suggests the hinduism she is chronicling is a shadow version of some other more mainstream narrative. An alternative history and its sexualization of hindu gods and goddesses. Dinanath batra has armtwisted publisher penguin india into recalling and destroying american scholar wendy donigers book, the hindus. An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy doniger which the author describes as an alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell.
Outcry as penguin india pulps alternative history of hindus. There has been much handwringing in india about wendy donigers book, the hindus. The author, wendy doniger, has two doctorates, one in sanskrit and one in indian studies, so she is exceedingly well qualified to write meaningfully on this topic. Wendy donigers the hindus recalled by penguin india time. I had written this for facebook, reproducing it here. Image wendy doniger image caption mr batra finds the cover of donigers book vulgar the book is in a bad taste right from the beginning, mr batra told a bbc hindi colleague on wednesday. Censorship by the batra brigade nyr, may 8, wendy doniger touches on a number of issues when it comes to the academic study of religion and larger questions of representation. How is wendy donigers book the hindu in its quality of. Penguin india caves in, agrees to trash wendy donigers book. Hinduism, in her view, is an intricate weave of the diverse localities and communities of indian culture. For those who already know and admire wendy donigers work, this is a handy if hefty compendium of. Copies of american scholar wendy doniger s the hindus.
An alternative history, by the usbased academic wendy doniger, as. In the light of foregoing, it is incumbent upon contemporary hindus and hindu scholars to regain the initiative and using indigenous historiography and cognitive categories and to institute a framework to generate in multiple volumes a genuine and authentic history of the hindus from an insiders perspective. Hinduism is a product of this unique heritage to which both this hindu and that hindu have contributed. Penguin to destroy copies of wendy donigers book the. Feb 11, 2016 wendy doniger s controversial book, the hindus. Penguin india agrees to withdraw and destroy all copies of an american scholars book on hindus. Penguin to destroy copies of wendy donigers book the hindus. Oct 26, 2015 wendy doniger s book is at once deeply engaged with textual details, historical sweep, theoretical concerns, and contemporary politics.
But the buying a book online feels like something of a hollow victory if hard. Seventythreeyearold doniger is an american jewish indologist and has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. Doniger provides several variants of the theme of transposed heads. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned in. The title of donigers book an alternative history is problematic. Image wendy doniger image caption mr batra finds the cover of doniger s book vulgar the book is in a bad taste right from the beginning, mr batra told a bbc hindi colleague on wednesday. Donigers c hapter on the shiva lingam expresses in microcosm this modern tension, describing att empts at censorship by a bigoted and prudish po litical movement p. Wendy donigers book is at once deeply engaged with textual details, historical sweep, theoretical concerns, and contemporary politics. An alternative history will be withdrawn and pulped in india, thanks to a legal wrangle that publisher penguin found itself in.
It poses no threat because it is too large, flaccid, and in the wrong place to be useful for sexual purposes. May 18, 2016 american indologist wendy donigers book the hindus. We can download wendy donigers book but not freedom of. Feb 12, 2014 p enguin books india has said this week that it will destroy all available copies of the 2009 book by the indologist wendy doniger, the hindus. Penguin india caves in, agrees to trash wendy donigers book on hinduism. A rightwing religious group criticized wendy doniger s 2009 book, the hindus. An alternative history was published in 2009 by vikingpenguin. One story is about fusing the head of a brahmin woman onto the body of a dalit woman. Indian censorship and the curious case of wendy doniger. The hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger penguin books november 2010 isbn10. As wendy doniger, a scholar of indian religions at the university of chicago, explains in her staggeringly comprehensive book, the british indologists who sought to tame indias chaotic.
This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the vedas to the present day. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity. In her book, doniger retells hindu stories and provides snarky interpretations. An alternative history, by university of chicago divinity school professor wendy doniger, was published in the u. Wendy doniger book to be recalled by penguin india bbc. All copies of chicago indologist wendy donigers seminal work to be trashed in 6 months in india. This book published by penguin was withdrawn by the publisher in an out of court settlement owing to a case filed in a delhi court by shiksha bachao andolan and a. Penguin pulls out wendy donigers book the hindus from.
Mar, 2014 there has been much handwringing in india about wendy donigers book, the hindus. As doniger points out in her statement, readers in and outside india are still free to download the hindus on kindle. She is scholarly, persuasive in her interpretations, especially bringing to light the suppressed presence of women, tribals, and untouchables, and witty, providing great reading pleasure and knowledge. Pankaj mishra, new york times donigers is an amazingly breathtaking book in its sweep. An alternative history, which had created a stir among various rightwing groups over allegedly defaming the hindu religion. American indologist wendy donigers book the hindus. Apr 26, 2009 as wendy doniger, a scholar of indian religions at the university of chicago, explains in her staggeringly comprehensive book, the british indologists who sought to tame indias chaotic. Apr 14, 2014 with that being said, the pulling of doniger s book even if penguin did it willingly and the presence of the indian law curtailing forms of expression about religious groups is a failure of mutual understanding and creative compromise, and does raise concerns about academic freedom. Apr 23, 2009 the title of doniger s book an alternative history is problematic. Penguin india agrees to withdraw and destroy all copies of. Fight back and reclaim wendy donigers valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a deal with. Wendy doniger s enthralling and encyclopaedic book reveals her vision of a hindu culture that is plural, varied, generous, and inclusive. Oct 30, 2015 wendy doniger, the 74yearold american author and research scholar in sanskrit is moreover known for the high regard she has had for indian tradition. American professor wendy donigers controversial book the hindus.
Tales of sex and masquerade among the themes explored in the book, originally published by the university of chicago press in 2000 and set for release in india in may, are sexual violence in ancient india, the god who committed adultery with his own goddess and the levirate, hindu style. India braces for wendy donigers latest book msnmail. Wendy donigers s anti hindu hate thesis its ganesas trunk is the displaced phallus, a caricature of sivas linga. It is shoddy, it peddles the lies of it s predecessors and tries to convert a lie into a fact by repeating it over multiple times. P enguin books india has said this week that it will destroy all available copies of the 2009 book by the indologist wendy doniger, the hindus. Wendy doniger, the 74yearold american author and research scholar in sanskrit is moreover known for the high regard she has had for indian tradition. Donigers book on hinduism put on hold india news,the. Publishers weekly clear and direct this will stand as a reliable resource to return to frequently. And so i intend to go on celebrating the diversity and pluralism, not to mention the worldly wisdom and sensuality, of the hindus that i have loved for about fifty years now and still counting. An alternative history penguin, 2009 has outraged hindus around the world like never before for allegedly insulting and offending hindus and indians. An alternative history, by the usbased academic wendy doniger, as part of a settlement after a group. Scholars and intellectuals across the board are critical and worried about penguins.
An alternative history, has been back on bookshelves in india for a few months. The hindus by wendy doniger is one of the worst books ive ever had the misfortune to read. An alternative history, withdrawn from the indian market by penguin india, became inaccessible online on wednesday. An alternative history had been the subject of a legal challenge claiming the text was offensive to hindus. Wendy donigers writes on indian history laden with errors, the petition listed below points out the following mistakes and if you agree with the contents please sign. Doniger titles one of her chapters fusion and rivalry under the delhi sultanate.
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