Books That Were Banned In India But Not For Religious Reasons
Well, we all know that religion is a very sensitive topic and there are a bunch of books that got banned in India for hurting the religious sentiments of a section of people.
Whenever we hear about banned books the first books that come to our mind are books like the Satanic Versers or Lajja. These books got banned in our country as some people claimed that these books hurt their religious sentiments. Mind you, in India religion is not the only thing that can get a book banned.
Here is a list of such books and the reason why they were banned…
1. Old Soldier Sahib (1934) – Frank Richards.
The book was banned for portraying the then military life in a bad light.
Of all the books that you would find in the list perhaps the most puzzling would be the ban that was placed on Frank Richards’ Old Soldier Sahib, an account of this veteran soldier’s pre-war army service in India. Old Soldier Sahib appears to have ruffled military feathers for its candid portrayal of life in the ranks. The book cannot be imported into India. The book is a memoir of the author’s time in British India as a veteran soldier.
2. The Lotus and the Robot (1960) – Arthur Koestler
The book was banned as it criticized the Indian democracy.
This controversial book by Arthur Koestler also cannot be imported to India. This book deals with mysticism and Koestler understanding of the India and Japan. This book has often been criticized as ill-researched. The book criticized the Indian democracy, as according to him India always wants a father figure. The government banned it, and reportedly the book is available in some bookstores in India, although the ban remains in effect.
3. Scented Garden: Anthropology of Sex Life in the Levant (1945) – Bernhard Stern
It was banned as it was considered to be too sexually explicit.
If you like the Kamasutra or Erotica then this one is for you. This book presents in great details about the sexual practices and perversions of peoples and cultures throughout the world. The Scented Garden was banned because it was considered to be too sexually explicit or maybe it would have provided competition to the local Kamasutra.
4. The Man from Moscow(1970) – Greville Wynne
The misrepresentation of Indian Policies was the reason that got the book banned.
The book was actually Wynne memoirs. The book created a huge controversy as the Indian Government claimed that the book misrepresented its policies. He wrote about how he felt used and undervalued by the Spy agencies. He also criticized the policies of the MI5. The book was banned in India.