The book also stated that Sri Aurobindo had no spiritual and literary contribution

Home News Latest The Week - Kochi, India Friday, 6 March 2009 12:51 hrs IST
Biography on Aurobindo 'defamatory': Govt - Cuttack:

''The Lives of Sri Aurobindo'', a book by US writer Peter Heehs contains defamatory and perverse comments on the spiritual leader's character, according to affidavits filed by the union and state governments before the Orissa High Court.

Such writings on the life and thoughts of a spiritual leader Sri was bound to affect the sentiments of lakhs of his followers and hence whould be banned, the counsel of the Centre and state submitted before the court yesterday.

The counsel also told the court that immediate steps would be taken to ban the publication and circulation of the controversial book in the state and in the country.

The affidavits came in the wake of a PIL filed before the court by Balasore-based Gitanjali Bhattacharya seeking a ban on the book.The High Court, admitting the petition had asked both Orissa government and the Union government, to file their counters.

The counsel for the Orissa government in the affidavit had stated that a crime branch inquiry ordered into the matter found the contents of the book ''highly defamatory''. The Crime Branch, the affidavit said, found the book blasphemous, the affidavit said.

The division bench of court comprising Justice I M Qudusi and Justice S C Parija while accepting the affidavits asked the petitioner to withdraw her petition on the ground that her prayer had been allowed.

The petitioner had moved the court alleging that the writer had depicted Sri Aurobindo as ''morally loose'' in character and lacking in integrity as a person. The book also stated that Sri Aurobindo had no spiritual and literary contribution and his claim of spiritual experiences was questionable and irrelevant.It was slated to be published by Penguin Books in November last year.

State imposes book ban Calcutta Telegraph - Calcutta, India Cuttack, March 5: The Orissa government has decided to strictly enforce a ban on The Lives of Sri Aurobindo authored by Peter Heehs after state CID reports ...