India's Struggle for Independence

India's Struggle for Independence is a book written by historians Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee, Sucheta Mahajan, and K. N. Panikkar, and published by Penguin Random House in 1987.[1] The book examines the Indian independence movement.

India's Struggle for Independence
Authors
CountryIndia
LanguageEnglish
PublisherPenguin Random House
Publication date
1987
Media typeprint

Reception edit

'Revolutionary Terrorist' controversy edit

Bhagat Singh along with Chandra Shekhar Azad, Surya Sen and others have been referred as 'revolutionary terrorist' in chapter 20 of book.[2] Bhagat Singh's family objected the use of term in April of 2016.[3] In parliamentary upper house Rajya Sabha, K. C. Tyagi, Janata Dal (United) politician, demanded to delete "objectionable references" for Bhagat Singh.[2] P. J. Kurien, deputy chairman of house, urged government to remove all references which refer Bhagat Singh as "revolutionary terrorist" which was assured by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, then Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.[2] Samajwadi Party politician Naresh Agarwal along with BJP MPs demanded action against authors while Left MPs opposed it in Rajya Sabha.[4]

In May 2016, Hindutva activist Dinanath Batra wrote a letter to HRD Ministry to sought ban on the book for the very same reason.[2][1] He also demanded action against Delhi University officials who printed it in Hindi.[1]

Mridula Mukherjee, co-author of the book had clarified that word didn't have a pejorative meaning when it was published.[1] Professors of Jawaharlal Nehru University claimed that Bipan Chandra praised Bhagat Singh when he referred him as 'revolutionary terrorist'.[5] Later, the book was red-flagged by the Delhi University.[6] Indian History Congress had passed a resolution in favor of book and demanded to end 'virtual ban' on the book in 2017.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Pathak, Vikas (2016-04-29). "Ban sought on Bipan Chandra's book". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  2. ^ a b c d "Remove terrorist tag for Bhagat Singh in DU book by Bipan Chandra: Kurien". The Indian Express. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  3. ^ "Bhagat Singh 'Revolutionary Terrorist' Says Book Taught In Delhi University". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  4. ^ "SP MP seeks action against authors for referring to Bhagat Singh as 'terrorist'". The Indian Express. 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  5. ^ "Bipan Chandra praised Bhagat Singh when he called him 'revolutionary terrorist': JNU professors". Firstpost. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  6. ^ a b Pathak, Vikas (2017-01-09). "Lift 'virtual ban' on Bipan Chandra's book, says IHC". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-03-14.