This is hardly controversial; any non-fiction book asserting to set out facts has to be subjected to some level of fact-checking and verification, and an assessment of the sources of information cited.

If the book is claiming to tell the truth about how a deadly communal conflagration erupted and who was responsible for it, the scrutiny needs to be even greater, given the subject matter. Is this a legal duty? Not exactly, insofar as a publisher is free to publish a book even if it violates laws on defamation, hate speech and spreading false information which can lead to public disorder – provided the publisher is willing to take on the consequences of doing so under the law.

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Bloomsbury Drops Delhi Riots Book: No, It Doesn’t Harm Free Speech

Q: In the aftermath of the withdrawal, a new debate has emerged: Is Bloomsbury’s decision to withdraw the book an assault on freedom of speech? Is it not a dangerous precedent for a book to be withdrawn by a publisher because of severe criticism?

Here’s why this withdrawal does not, in fact, amount to an attack on freedom of expression – though it should be noted that this is in no way a defence of Bloomsbury India’s decision-making in the matter.

Critics haven’t threatened the authors or publisher, essential fact-checking looks missing – So what’s the problem?

Vakasha Sachdev

Updated: 23 Aug 2020, 11:24 AM IST

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Following a storm of criticism, Bloomsbury India announced on Saturday, 22 August that it had decided to withdraw a book titled Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story, by advocate Monika Arora and Delhi University professors Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra, which was to be released in September.

In the aftermath of the withdrawal, a new debate has emerged: Is Bloomsbury’s decision to withdraw the book an assault on freedom of speech? Is it not a dangerous precedent for a book to be withdrawn by a publisher because of severe criticism?

Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from opinion

Topics: Free Speech

Published: 23 Aug 2020, 11:14 AM IST