Muslim Poet’s Work Dropped from Indian Government Magazine After Hindutva Objections
The Gujarat government has removed a poem by Muslim poet Mr. Aziz Tankarvi from the online edition of its annual Diwali magazine. The move came after objections from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a Hindu hardline group known for its anti Muslim stance. The VHP claimed the poem had offensive remarks about Lord Ram and Meera Bai. The poem was printed in “Gujarat Deepotsavi Ank,” which the state Information and Broadcasting Department publishes every year for Diwali.
The government replaced it with a poem titled “Joiye” by poet Mr. Prakash “Jalal.” Gujarat VHP spokesperson Mr. Hitendrasinh Rajput confirmed the removal and said the group is happy with the state government’s step. He said, “We are glad that the state government quickly answered our request and removed the disputed poem from the Diwali magazine.” On October 23, the VHP had sent a letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Bhupendra Patel.
The letter demanded that the poem be removed at once. It also asked for strict action against the poet and the officials who approved the poem. VHP Ahmedabad region secretary Mr. Ashwin Patel raised the objection in the letter. He pointed to the poem on page 389 of this year’s issue. He claimed it made offensive references to Lord Ram and Meera Bai and hurt the feelings of Hindus.
The group argued that Diwali marks the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. So it said printing such a poem in this special issue was very wrong. The VHP also demanded that officials check the past work of any writer before adding their poems or writings to government publications. It further asked that future government publications give space only to writers whose views are positive toward the country, religion and culture.
Reporters tried to reach Mr. Vikrant Pandey, secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Department, for comment, but he could not be reached. The online edition of “Gujarat Deepotsavi Ank” can still be seen on the official website of the Gujarat government’s Information Commissionerate.
