Oxford University Press India on Tuesday issued a public apology for publishing what it described as “unverified” statements about 17th-century ruler Shivaji in a book released more than two decades ago, following objections by Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, the Hindustan Times reported.
Bhosale is the 13th-generation descendant of Shivaji.
The apology relates to the book Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, written by American historian James Laine and published by Oxford University Press India in 2003.
The book became controversial after some groups objected to a statement about Shivaji’s parentage.
The remarks had sparked protests, and in January 2004 the controversy escalated across Maharashtra, particularly in Pune, where more than 150 protesters vandalised the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, alleging it had assisted the author in making the allegedly objectionable statements about Shivaji.
The Maharashtra government had banned the book.
In a public notice published in newspapers on Tuesday, Oxford University Press India said that certain statements on pages 31, 33, 34 and 93 of the book had not been verified, adding that it regretted the publication.
The publishing house said it was apologising to Bhosale and “the public at large, for any distress and anguish” caused to them.
The apology followed a directive from the Bombay High Court’s Kolhapur bench in a case arising from a complaint filed by Bhosale, in which criminal defamation proceedings had been initiated in 2005 against Oxford University Press India’s former Managing Director Sayeed Manzar Khan and others.
During the hearing on December 17, the publisher’s counsel said they were willing to issue a nationwide apology, after which the court quashed the proceedings.
A representative of the publishing house told The Times of India on Wednesday that the book had been published for a brief period more than 20 years ago, and that the publisher had taken steps at the time to recall the book and withdraw it from circulation following concerns about its content.
Oxford University Press India seeks to “consider cultural sensitivities and context carefully to ensure that our products can be read and enjoyed by as many people worldwide as possible”, the publishing house told the newspaper.
You’ve read Scroll.
Now help sustain it
Scroll is funded by readers, not corporate owners. If you believe our work matters, support our newsroom. Become a member today!
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!