# When books become political: The hidden history of power, pressure and censorship in India

> From Sonia Gandhi's memoir to the controversies surrounding Jaswant Singh and Perumal Murugan, India's publishing landscape has long witnessed political pressure and ideological battles. This article explores how books are often silenced long before they ever reach a courtroom.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Investigations · **Published:** 2026-09-06 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/investigations/when-books-become-political-the-hidden-history-of-power-pressure-and-censorship-in-india-28378 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Sonia Gandhi memoir, book censorship India, Indian publishing, freedom of expression, literature and politics, Jaswant Singh, Perumal Murugan

Literature has always served as a mirror to society, yet in India, books frequently find themselves trapped in webs of power, pressure, and fear. Silencing a publication does not always require an official government ban or a formal court order. Sometimes a publisher quietly steps away, an author decides the personal cost is simply too high, or a university removes a title from its reading lists. In this entire dynamic, the ultimate casualty is the reader, who is denied the fundamental opportunity to decide what to consume and evaluate for themselves.

 

## Sonia Gandhi's memoir and a new publishing chapter

The upcoming publication of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, recently drew widespread attention when its original publisher, Penguin Random House, stepped away from the project. On September 4, HarperCollins India announced that it would take over publishing duties, with a global release scheduled for November 10, 2026. Tracing her life from post-war Italy to her marriage with Rajiv Gandhi and her years at the helm of Indian politics, the book stirred debate even before reaching bookshelves. Reports indicated that revisions were sought regarding sections touching upon Narendra Modi, the RSS, communal issues, and China. While the Gandhi family reportedly rejected these changes, Penguin characterized the separation as an editorial impasse rather than yielding to political pressure.

 

## Jaswant Singh and the Jinnah controversy

The clash between literature and political authority has deep historical roots in the country. In 2009, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh published Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence, a work that challenged conventional narratives surrounding the partition of the subcontinent. He examined the political trajectory of Mohammad Ali Jinnah alongside the pivotal roles played by Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel. The fallout was immediate; on August 19, the BJP expelled Singh from the party. That very day, the Gujarat government, headed by Narendra Modi, banned the book within the state, objecting strongly to its depiction of Patel and its questioning of his patriotism. Although the Gujarat High Court eventually set aside the ban on September 4, 2009, Singh had already lost his standing within his political organization.

 

## James Laine's Shivaji and the attack on Pune research

Historical research has similarly sparked fierce public backlashes. James Laine's 2003 book, Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, contained passages regarding the parentage of the Maratha ruler that drew severe objections. Oxford University Press withdrew the volume from circulation in India that November. However, the withdrawal failed to quell the unrest. On January 5, 2004, a mob linked to the Sambhaji Brigade vandalized the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, targeting the institution simply because Laine had acknowledged its scholars for assisting his research. Countless rare manuscripts and books were destroyed. Although the Maharashtra government initially ordered the forfeiture of copies, subsequent judicial interventions by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in 2010 struck down the punitive notifications.

 

## Perumal Murugan declares himself a dead writer

In Tamil Nadu, author Perumal Murugan's novel Madhorubhagan, translated as One Part Woman, explored the life of a childless couple and depicted local temple traditions and social dynamics that angered specific caste and religious organizations. As protests escalated, local administration brokered a settlement demanding an apology from the author and the withdrawal of unsold copies. Overwhelmed by the mounting hostility, Murugan announced in January 2015 that the writer in him was dead, finding the pressure unbearable. Nevertheless, the Madras High Court ruled in July 2016 that the settlement lacked legal binding and rejected demands for action against the author, publisher, and the novel.

 

## Removals from academic syllabi

A book does not need to be pulled from shelves to lose its influence; it can quietly vanish from educational spaces. In 2011, Delhi University dropped A.K. Ramanujan's essay Three Hundred Ramayanas from its history syllabus following prolonged objections and protests by student wings like the ABVP. Similarly, a year prior, Mumbai University removed Rohinton Mistry's novel Such a Long Journey from its BA reading list after objections from the Shiv Sena's student wing regarding its language and political portrayal. While these texts remained legally available for purchase, their removal from classrooms deprived students of structured academic engagement and classroom discussion.

 

## Wendy Doniger and Penguin India's legal settlement

Wendy Doniger's scholarly work The Hindus: An Alternative History faced a different pathway to suppression. In 2014, Penguin India settled out of court with litigants challenging the book, agreeing to withdraw the Indian edition and pulp remaining copies. While the publisher maintained its editorial decision to stand by the work, it cited severe legal constraints under Section 295A of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code and its duty to protect employees from harassment and threats. The settlement ended the litigation abruptly, removing the book from circulation without requiring a formal government ban.

 

## Salman Rushdie and the missing import notification

The history of restricted literature extends back decades. In 1988, Rajiv Gandhi's government prohibited the import of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses following widespread protests over its treatment of religious themes. Decades later, the restriction encountered a bizarre procedural hurdle when authorities failed to produce the foundational notification behind the ban. In November 2024, the Delhi High Court noted it had to presume the notification never existed, closing the challenge while leaving legal remedies open for petitioners. The court refrained from ruling on the constitutionality of the original restriction due to the missing documentation.

 

## Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished memoir controversy

Contemporary controversies have taken novel forms. Former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, became embroiled in a row in 2026 before ever seeing an official release. Penguin Random House India, holding the exclusive rights, confirmed that no authorized copies had been circulated. The situation escalated when Delhi Police registered an FIR over the alleged online circulation of a typeset manuscript bearing the same title, prompting questions surrounding the mandatory clearances required for military memoirs prior to publication.

 

## Legal framework and constitutional protections

India maintains no central board tasked with pre-censoring every book before publication. Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution safeguards freedom of speech and expression, while Article 19(2) outlines reasonable restrictions concerning public order, defamation, and national security. Statutory provisions such as Section 98 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita allow state governments to order the forfeiture of specific publications, subject to judicial review in the High Courts. However, legal forfeitures, publisher withdrawals, and academic syllabus removals remain distinct mechanisms that must be evaluated independently.

 

## Conclusion: Preserving the reader's choice

Ultimately, a book does not require a formal government ban to be silenced. State restrictions, university syllabus revisions, publisher withdrawals, and self-censorship out of fear all contribute to shaping public reading habits. While some restrictions are struck down by courts and others find alternative publishers, many simply vanish from public access. With Sonia Gandhi's memoir slated for release on November 10, 2026, readers will soon have the opportunity to engage with her perspective directly. The core issue remains not whether every publication must be universally praised, but whether readers should retain the freedom to decide for themselves.

## What this means for you
Controversies surrounding literature and publishing directly impact readers' intellectual freedom and their access to diverse perspectives.

- **Across India:** Whenever publishers withdraw books or demand revisions, ordinary readers are deprived of uncompromised texts, which impacts intellectual diversity and open discourse nationwide.

- **For Students and Researchers:** The removal of literary works and essays from academic syllabi limits students' exposure to alternative viewpoints, narrowing critical academic inquiry.

- **For Authors and Publishers:** Fear of legal backlashes and protests often forces publishers to shy away from sensitive subjects, exerting a chilling effect on creative freedom and independent writing.

- **Judicial Oversight:** While courts frequently strike down arbitrary bans, the pervasive threat of informal pressure and self-censorship remains a persistent hurdle for free expression.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who is the publisher of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, and when is its release date?
Sonia Gandhi's memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love will be published by HarperCollins India, with its global release scheduled for November 10, 2026.

### 2. Which book by Jaswant Singh faced a government ban in 2009?
Jaswant Singh's book Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence faced a ban by the Gujarat government in 2009, which was later set aside by the High Court.

### 3. Which institution was attacked following the controversy over James Laine's book?
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune was attacked on January 5, 2004, amidst protests over James Laine's book on Shivaji.

### 4. Why did Perumal Murugan announce that the writer in him was dead?
Facing intense protests and mounting pressure over his novel One Part Woman, Perumal Murugan announced in January 2015 that he was giving up writing.

### 5. Which essay was removed from Delhi University's history syllabus in 2011?
Delhi University dropped A.K. Ramanujan's essay Three Hundred Ramayanas from its history syllabus in 2011.

### 6. What action did Penguin India take regarding Wendy Doniger's book in 2014?
Penguin India reached an out-of-court settlement in 2014, agreeing to withdraw the Indian edition of The Hindus: An Alternative History and pulp remaining copies.

### 7. Which book by Salman Rushdie faced an import restriction in India in 1988?
The import of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses was prohibited by Rajiv Gandhi's government in 1988.

### 8. Whose unpublished memoir sparked a controversy involving Delhi Police in 2026?
The unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny by former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane sparked a controversy and an FIR in 2026.

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