Thousands of Jaswant books on their way to Gujarat

Sunday, September 06, 2009 02:57:00 PM, Press Trust of India

New Delhi: The publishers of former BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s controversial book — Jinnah— India, Partition, Independence — have rushed about 5,000 copies to the state within 24 hours of the Gujarat High Court lifting the ban on the book imposed by the state government.

R K Mehra, Chairman of Rupa & Co Limited, the publishers of the book, said: “There has been a tremendous demand for the book. We have sent about 5,000 copies to Vadodara, Ahmedabad and other cities.”

He said over 1,000 copies each were sent by air from New Delhi and Mumbai as soon as the High Court order was pronounced on Friday.

The Crossword chain of bookshops received 50 copies at its main branch at Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, around 4 pm on Saturday.

Hemant Susha, in-charge of the book section, said: “We received 50 copies just now. We are expecting more on Monday.”

Dharmesh Bhatt, the manager of book retail chain Landmark, at Ahmedabad, said 24 orders had been placed till Saturday afternoon, but the copies would reach only by Monday or Tuesday as the books were dispatched later.

But Landmark’s Vadodara branch is still waiting for the right moment. “We will look at the trend first and then display it. We had received copies earlier (before the book was banned in the state), but sent it to other outlets in other states, where it is not banned,” said Manoj Mishra, manager of Vadodara’s Landmark outlet.

“We don’t want to sell the book just now because tomorrow, anyone may come in and create a hungama over it. What’s the point in having a time-bomb in the store,” he asked.

Mishra said that nobody in Vadodara had placed any orders as yet, but four or five people had enquired about it nevertheless.

 

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Comments:

Jaswant Singh did not blame Jinnah for the partition of India.In fact. Jinnah is to be blamed as he was firm on dividing India. Allama Mashriqi told Jinnah that partition would be harmful for the people of Indian subcontinent, but Jinnah refused to listen. Nasim Yousaf, Mashriqi's grandson, has written in detail on the subject in his book ("Hidden Facts Behind British India's Freedom: A Scholarly Look into Allama Mashraqi and Quaid-e-Azam's Political Conflict"). Every Indian and Pakistani must read it.

Salma (by e-mail)

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It speaks of a fascist mind. No book should be banned.

Zahid Mohammad (by e-mail)

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Who says BJP tasted humiliating defeat? In recent election even Indian media was not defeated who ignored that various trusted BJP allies shifted from NDA to Congress’ lead UPA.

Much more than BJP’s own expectation it touched the tally of 116 deputies on its own. The Congress under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh served as one of the best governance in last few decades with almost negligible charges of corruption.

The much reported ‘Chintan-Manthan’ and internal strife within the ranks and file in BJP seems another ploy shrewdly being relayed to keep aging BJP alive. See how Vedanta Raje Scindia and Rajnath Singh amicably settled down the ‘dispute’?

The newfound love of Jinnah’s secularism after 60 years, first from Advani Ji and now from Jaswant Singh blaming more Pandit Nehru on partition of India, I wonder it is to malign the chances of 4-5th younger dynasty of Nehru.

Indian Muslims have nothing to do to sort out who actually be blamed on unfortunate division of India nor rehabilitating Jinnah’s image will yield any harvest of Muslim’s support for BJP or any other political party.

Whether BJP or Congress either way in power of or in opposition ironically, over a decade, Muslim Scholars and Seminaries has the thrust to denounce ‘Islamic’ terrorism and they are religiously and loudly condemning the terrorism at every podium and forums.

By and large Indian Muslims are as patriotic, loyal, peace loving and law abiding citizenry as any other compatriots from other faiths.

SMS Reza (by e-mail)

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Interesting indeed!

Now that jaswant singh has put this in black n white will the BJP stop demonising the Muslims???

It is perhaps the first time anyone in India has dared to say this in a book...but some years back a rtd prof in UP had told me during a casual conversation and i was surprised when he said it was actually nehru's lust for power, and the British avenging their humiliation at having to leave India, that created pakistan...and the Kashmir problem!
 

Whatever it was Indian muslims have paid (and are still paying) a high price for it and the guilt of Partion that has been inflicted on us ever since has taken its toll...

Zohra Javed (by e-mail)

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