The Writer, the Reader and the State
Literary Censorship in India
- Mini Chandran - Professor of English literature, Humanities and Social Sciences department, IIT Kanpur.
This book offers a comprehensive account of the censorship of literature in India since Independence and the recent trends in literature banning
The author recalls the literary censorship of books in India, both in English and in regional languages, and the impact of Emergency on banned books. The book highlights recent trends and current challenges to free literary expression in the country and attempts to locate it in the tradition of Indian literary history.
The term ‘censorship’, used in the book, is a rubric that includes various repressive measures, both governmental and non-governmental, in banning a book after publication, withdrawing a book using coercive tactics or suppression of a work on other grounds. It adds a literary perspective to the process of reception of these books by the reader.The book is well-balance as Chandran also picks holes in the discourses against each case of censorship she talks about.
Chandran examines in six chapters India’s literary tradition from the ancient period to contemporary times, censorship laws and rules, books banned in India, the Emergency and, lastly, why censorship has become so democratic. [It] is a timely book, readable and insightful.