Publisher Penguin Random House India has pulled acclaimed graphic novelist Joe Sacco’s book on the Muzaffarnagar riots from distribution in India citing “red flags” that were not “attended to”.
Published last year, the book was expected to be sold in India by September.
Writer Arundhati Roy criticised the publisher for its decision to “suddenly renege and halt” the distribution of the work of a “brilliant graphic novelist”, but also blamed the Union government for increasing vindictiveness.
“It’s a terrible loss to Indian readers. I am truly saddened by this decision. Not least because PRH is my publisher. While PRH has not covered itself in glory by doing this, the real problem is our increasingly vindictive government,” she said in an email response to TNM.
She continued, “Free speech—in the press, in cinema, in art and literature—is under relentless assault. That said, caving in to this government's overt and covert threats can only make things worse. Penguin Random House could have done better. I hope Joe Sacco finds a braver distributor.”
Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO of Penguin Random House India told Indian Express that the company had raised certain questions about the book, The Once and Future Riot, which Penguin UK did not respond to.
“One problem was a map in the book showing inaccurate boundaries of India. Besides that, we had raised some content questions and asked for citations which never came. We are very clear about this: if we know there is an inaccurate map and no changes are forthcoming, we will not do it. We have decided there will be no distribution of the book due to these red flags not being attended to,” he said.
Around 50 people died in communal riots in September 2013 and thousands fled their homes in Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh. Riots broke out after rumour spread about a young Jat woman being harassed by a Muslim man, sparking murders that led to violence.