New Delhi: Jaswant Singh on Saturday said there
was something "really wrong" in "limitedness" of thinking as
there is a cultivation of mindset in which M A Jinnah is
"demonised", an obvious reference to his expulsion from BJP
for writing a book on the Muslim leader.
Giving the example of America, he said, "There are 50 to
70 books written about American Civil War today. If you write
one book about Jinnah, you are expelled from the party. There
must be something really wrong to the limitedness of our
thinking, cultivation of a mindset, in which he (Jinnah) is
now demonised."
Pointing out that the Partition is "an important part of
our history", Singh, who was speaking at a seminar organised
by Federation of Indian Publishers against the ban of his book
'Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence' stressed on having
better relationships among India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to
resolve issues afflicting South Asia.
He also said the Partition was also a matter close to
Indian Muslims. "What has the Partition done to the psyche of
Muslims who did not want partition, who could not go to
Pakistan, who did not want to go to Pakistan?...Now, if we
even justified valid demand, whether we say it or not, a kind
of murmurings is "abhi bhi kuch chaiye, Pakistan mil gaya
na'," he said adding people need to get out of this psyche.
Speaking at the seminar Salman Khurshid, Union Minister
of State for Corporate Affairs and Minority Affairs, said
banning Singh's book was wrong.
Khurshid on a lighter note said it is time Indians
"turn mature and discuss and debate things than just ban it
without any valid reasons".
"Look at the book like Jaswant Singh's. Read it, enjoy
it, debate it, argue and if you are really unhappy with the
book the sit for another five years and write another book,"
he said about Gujarat Government's decision to ban the book.
Earlier speakers at the seminar had pointed out that
the ban had turned counter productive as it resulted in the
book becoming more famous and people wanting to read it more.
Khurshid said the person who bans book, does it so,
not to sell the book "but to sell himself".
Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Tushar Gandhi who was also
present said the concept of banning is challenging the very
existence of democracy.
He said people should come forward and object to such
acts of the government and said banning of books is a sign of
"dictatorial" and "tyrannical society".
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, August 29, 2009, 21:55