Dr Vaidehi Taman, National secretary of Newspaper Association of India said “People can have difference of opinion to register the protest or disagreement needs debate but not physical violence. Physical conflict must not be a part of any civilized battle. Sambhaji Brigade throwing ink at Girish Kuber at a literary meet in Nashik shows how intolerance has grown”.
The group was irked by certain references Mr Kuber has made about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in his book, sources said. Security has been stepped up in the area following the incident.
NIA General secretary Vipin Gaur said “We believe that physical conflict must not be a part of any civilized battle of ideas which must find expression through persuasion, reasoned arguments, and decent debate. I strongly condemn this attack.”
However, an unequivocal condemnation of the unruly act must not deter one from steadfastly taking an issue with the book’s content and intent. We note that there is a reasonable critique of the interpretation and presentation of the history of Maharashtra offered by Mr. Kuber.
The book has been called out for its glaring errors of commission and omissions. It arguably treads the slippery slope of writing an exclusionary and distorted version of history, which ultimately proves counterproductive to nurture a society conducive to democratic and reasoned debate. Acknowledgement that the historical figure of Sambhaji Maharaj has been subjected to distorted perceptions to extend a particular cultural agenda is not antithetical to a firm opposition to the means adopted to counter such distortions.
Girish Kuber, the editor of Marathi daily Loksatta, had reached Nashik’s Kusumagraj Nagri on the concluding day of the 94th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan earlier today where he was scheduled to attend a symposium.As he stood behind the stage, two-three unidentified men walked up to him and threw ink at him that fell on his face, hair, and shirt. Some of the ink fell on police personnel present at the spot.
The attack has been condemned by leaders across party lines, including Sharad Pawar and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
