Book by PM's daughter stirs controversy
Kumar Uttam |New Delhi 28 Feb 08 (Book by PM's daughter stirs controversy
Kumar Uttam |New Delhi
A book compiled by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's daughter belittling characters of Ramayana has snowballed into a major controversy with the BJP threatening nation-wide stir against it for it "hurting Hindu sentiment".
The book prescribed for second year undergraduate students of the Delhi University dubs Hanuman as the "henchman" of Lord Ram and calls him a "tiny monkey". At one place it portrays Sita as the daughter of Ravana and at another place it accuses Hanuman and Ravana of seducing Sita.
These "derogatory references" are contained in an article titled 'Three hundred Ramayanas: Five examples and three thoughts on translation' that forms part of the book compiled by Prime Minister's daughter, Upinder Singh, who is a professor of ancient history in Delhi University.
"The book has assaulted the religious sentiments of Hindus. This is not tolerable. We would like it to be removed from the course. Else, we would be forced to take it to the streets," BJP's deputy leader in Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra said.
Maintaining that the BJP was not against freedom of expression, Malhotra said his party did not want the book to be banned, but only withdrawn from the curriculum.
The article that has agitated many Hindu outfits talks about Ravana conceiving Sita as a result of eating the fruit given by Lord Shiva, which was for his wife Mandodri. Eventually, it says, Ravana gave birth to Sita through nasal sneeze (Sita meaning sneeze in Kannada) and out of public shame left Sita in the fields of king Janak!
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A book compiled by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's daughter belittling characters of Ramayana has snowballed into a major controversy with the BJP threatening nation-wide stir against it for it "hurting Hindu sentiment".
The book prescribed for second year undergraduate students of the Delhi University dubs Hanuman as the "henchman" of Lord Ram and calls him a "tiny monkey". At one place it portrays Sita as the daughter of Ravana and at another place it accuses Hanuman and Ravana of seducing Sita.
These "derogatory references" are contained in an article titled 'Three hundred Ramayanas: Five examples and three thoughts on translation' that forms part of the book compiled by Prime Minister's daughter, Upinder Singh, who is a professor of ancient history in Delhi University.
"The book has assaulted the religious sentiments of Hindus. This is not tolerable. We would like it to be removed from the course. Else, we would be forced to take it to the streets," BJP's deputy leader in Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra said.
Maintaining that the BJP was not against freedom of expression, Malhotra said his party did not want the book to be banned, but only withdrawn from the curriculum.
The article that has agitated many Hindu outfits talks about Ravana conceiving Sita as a result of eating the fruit given by Lord Shiva, which was for his wife Mandodri. Eventually, it says, Ravana gave birth to Sita through nasal sneeze (Sita meaning sneeze in Kannada) and out of public shame left Sita in the fields of king Janak!
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