PENGUIN BOOKS INDIA – STATEMENT ON THE
HINDUS BY WENDY DONIGER
Penguin
Books India believes, and has always believed, in every individual’s
right to freedom of thought and expression, a right explicitly
codified in the Indian Constitution. This commitment informs Penguin’s
approach to publishing in every territory of the world, and we have
never been shy about testing that commitment in court when appropriate.
At the same time, a publishing company has the
same obligation as any other organisation to respect the laws of the
land in which it operates, however intolerant and restrictive those laws
may be. We also have a moral responsibility to protect our employees
against threats and harassment where we can.
The
settlement reached this week brings to a close a four year legal
process in which Penguin has defended the publication of the Indian
edition
of The Hindus
by Wendy Doniger. We have published, in succession, hardcover,
paperback
and e-book editions of the title. International editions of the book
remain available physically and digitally to Indian readers who still
wish to purchase it.
We stand by our original decision to publish The Hindus,
just as we stand by the decision to publish other books that we know may
cause offence to some segments of our readership. We believe, however,
that the Indian Penal Code, and in particular section 295A of that code,
will make it increasingly difficult for
any Indian publisher to uphold international standards of free
expression without deliberately placing itself outside the law.
This
is, we believe, an issue of great significance not just for the
protection of creative freedoms in India but also for the defence of
fundamental
human rights
