Delhi Riots 2020 – The Untold Story : Hear the truth, support the truth!

When communication is not right, confusion is what is left. When one tries to clear the confusion, coherence is what one is gifted with. Advocate Monika Arora finds herself exactly in this very situation after her publisher and the renowned company “Bloomsbury India” drops her books off their shelf without any formal written communication. The irony of the dissociation being just few hours ahead of the virtual launch.

 

Break-Ups and severance of personal relations on WhatsApp messages or texts are not unheard of. All the promises and good hope is washed down the drain with a send and then delete button of a smart phone. But, it is a tad difficult to digest the fact that a professional commitment can be cancelled via an open media statement and not personally to the concerned party through an appropriate email or any such medium.

 

“Bloomsbury’s withdrawal of the book- ‘Delhi Riots 2020 – The Untold Story’ exposes the Underworld of Indian book publishing industry run by the Left Mafia” – tweets Monika Arora who has authored the book with Delhi University professors Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra. The fact that the book was pre-ordered in large numbers on Amazon did not deter the publishing company from making this atypical decision.

 

In their media statement Bloomsbury India has said that the virtual pre-publication launch organized by the authors was unknown to them and that they would not have approved the participation of some parties in the launch program. Bloomsbury goes on to say that they strongly support freedom of speech but their deep sense of responsibility towards the society has made them take this action of withdrawing the publication of this book.

 

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter”, George Washington had said. Even the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations state that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

 

 

Defending her right to the freedom of expression, Monika Arora has put forth a few facts that sheds light on the authors’ stance. Bloomsbury India had signed a contract with the authors and also interacted with the authors from time to time suggesting changes in subsequent drafts before the mutually agreed final draft was arrived upon. This was followed by 100 copies of the said book being printed and given to the authors to distribute the same within their close circle of friends, colleagues and intellectuals for a feedback and review. The authors have confirmed that the publishing company was very much aware of the virtual pre-launch of the book which was actually set to be printed for sale in the month of September. They were well informed about the guest list too that included Kapil Mishra to be the guest of honour.

 

However, the publishing company claiming freedom of speech has caved into the pressure of leftists, liberals and congress supporters. Their outrage on the social media has compelled the publisher to withdraw this publication. The authors strongly condemn the fact that the publisher’s decision was not conveyed to them formally. A telephonic communication cannot be put on record to cancel a legal contract.