Court stays publication of rotten “scholarly” book on Sri Aurobindo

The book – The lives of Sri Aurobindo – is written by Peter Heehs, an American who is one of the founders of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives in Puducherry. It was published in the US in May this year by Columbia Press and was to be re-printed and sold by Penguin India in
November.

On Wednesday, in response to a writ petition by Balasore resident Geetanjali Bhattacharya, an HC bench comprising Justice I M Quddasi and B P Ray ordered Penguin India not to publish the book till it got a no-objection certificate from the Union home ministry and ministry of information and broadcasting. In her petition, Bhattacharya has quoted alleged excerpts from Heehs’ book and urged the court to ban the publication of the book and take action against the writer.

Some of the writings, as mentioned in the petition, are: “Aurobindo’s character, life, writings and thoughts did not hold integrity”; “He (Aurobindo) possesses a morally loose character”; “His claims to spiritual expression and realisation is questionable and irrelevant”; and that his spirituality “emerges from a streak of inherited
madness”.

The most shocking claim by the writer is that Aurobindo’s relationship with The Mother was “romantic in nature”, the petitioner has said. She quotes the preface of the book: “A statement on the politician or poet that rubs the people wrong way will turn into a political or legal issue or possibility cause a riot”. Claiming that the book is aimed at tarnishing the images of Sreemaa and Aurobindo, Bhattacharya has called it an “invasion on the religious sentiments of Indians”. “Even Heehs knows that there might be riots in the country after his book is published in India”. Bhattacharya told TOI over phone, adding that the book has “objectionable descriptions” of the relationship between Shreemaa and Aurobindo and “derogatory remarks” on Mrunalini, Nalini and Meera as well.