New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to stay the sale of Malayalam novel ‘Meesa’ (The Moustache) that was written by young novelist S Harish.
The Novel has been in the news for offending section of the people in Kerala, pending further deliberations. Apparently, Certain offended conservative Hindu organizations had unleashed a campaign against the author and the publisher.
Delhi-based N Radhakrishnan filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)and the bench headed by Chief Justice DipakMisra, while refusing for a stay, asked for a translation of the parts that the petitioner found objectionable.The translation has to be submitted to the court within five days.
It is alleged that the novel contains a dialogue between the narrator and his friend with reference to upper caste Hindu women who go to the temple every day. Some who believe that it shows Caste Hindu women in a poor light has highlighted the dialogue as being objectionable.
The offended organizations have issued threats to both the novelist and the publisher of the book, Ravi DeeCee of DC Books, warning them of dire consequences. Copies of the books have been burnt in public, and the publisher’s family has been threatened.
Ravi DeeCee has defended the decision to publish the book saying Malayalam literature is no stranger to such dialogues, and that the content of the novel is tame compared to what has been found acceptable for publication so far.
In its first hearing on the matter on 2nd August, the Supreme Court observed, “(At first glance,) it appears to be the conversation between two young persons in a novel,” the court observed today. “Isn’t it normal for youngsters to talk like this,” it asked.
The court also noted that asking for a novel to be banned on such bases could set a bad precedent, ordering for a translation of the objectionable parts.
