Laine's Shivaji book ban lifted, cops take no chances
Laine's Shivaji book ban lifted, cops take no chances
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) in Deccan Gymkhana has seen tight security for three days now. In the wake of the Supreme Court lifting the ban on one of the most controversial books of recent times, 'Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India' by James Laine, eight policemen and two senior officers have been stationed at the research institute for round-the-clock security.
Laine, a US academic, was helped by some scholars from BORI in his research.
The controversy
After the publication of his book in 2003, there were protests against Laine and his work for remarks in it that were found insulting to the memory of Chhatrapati Shivaji, a much-revered figure in the state. One of the most violent protests was at BORI, with members of the Maratha supremacist organisation Sambhaji Brigade vandalising the institute in the early days of January 2004.
Shortly after that, the state had banned Laine's book.
More security soon
Now, with the lifting of the ban, the police do not want to take any chances.
Police officials said more policemen would be stationed at BORI soon.
"BORI is a soft target for any kind of attack and therefore we have to ensure security," said Dnyaneshwar Phadtare, DCP (Zone I).
"As of now, there are two senior officers with eight policemen on duty all through the day."
The BORI executive council committee has called for an emergency meeting today.
The 92-year-old institute has a collection of 40,000 old manuscripts and several books.
"If any of our books get destroyed, it will be a national loss," said Dr M G Dhadphale, former secretary, BORI. "The campus is spread over 13 acres and we should not take any chances."
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