Cong demands withdrawal of book approval policy
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 24 2022:
Terming the new policy of the state government for seeking prior approval for publishing certain genres of books as an act of suppressing the intellectual rights of writers, Manipur Pradesh Con gress Committee (MPCC) vice-president and spokesperson Hareshwar Goswami has demanded the government to withdraw the policy.
Addressing a press meet at Congress Bhawan here on Saturday, Hareshwar said that the recent order of the government seems to be a response to a certain book or thesis containing factual errors regarding the land area of the state at the time of merger.
The order seems like a series of policies of the BJP government at the Centre, which pose challenges to the constitutional values of the country.
Arresting journalists, stopping discussion of news and current affairs on All India Radio and curb on expressing thoughts on social media are some hardcore policies of the BJP government, which the state government seems to be subscribing, he said.
Hareshwar termed the recent order of the state government as a first not only in the history of the state or the country but in the entire world.
He also called the BJP government's policy as a modified fascism to suit the 21st Century world while comparing the recent policy of the state government with Nazi Germany era policy.
He charged the Modi government of trying to change the narrative in the country by twisting history and introducing Hindutva ideologies in the education curriculum while calling the state government's policy as an offspring of the Modi policy.
The general convention regarding books in the world is to ban particular books upon finding objectionable contents.
There is no such law in the entire world to preview books before publishing and enforcing punitive actions for not following the policy.
Moreover, there is no guarantee that the original works of a writer will be safe after submission to the committee formed by the directorate of higher education before publishing.
This is an infringement on the rights of the writers, he said, while demanding immediate withdrawal of the policy.