Book
Dwikhandito
Dwikhandito is a book by Taslima Nasrin. The CPI(M) government banned the book on 28 November 2003 fearing that book could incite communal discord.
Description
About the work
Dwikhandito is a book by Taslima Nasrin. The CPI(M) government banned the book on 28 November 2003 fearing that book could incite communal discord.
What makes it interesting is the way a book becomes legible to officials as a political instrument rather than a neutral cultural object. As a book, it can be read not only for subject matter but for the way form, tone, and circulation make a text feel dangerous, intimate, or politically usable to anxious officials.
It also matters as part of a wider censorship history in India. The present page is a dossier starter built from source-tracked ban records; the surviving note currently says: The CPI(M) government banned the book on 28 November 2003 fearing that book could incite communal discord. In November 2003, the Calcutta High Court put out an injunction against publication after a poet, Syed Hasmat. More publication history, translations, and close reading can be added later.
Overview
Why it was banned
Dwikhandito entered censorship debates as a book associated with politics, public argument, and state power. In the current dossier, the main state objections cluster around political control and political dissent.
The earliest event currently captured here is 2003 in India, where Government of West Bengal banned publication, sale, or possession. The CPI(M) government banned the book on 28 November 2003 fearing that book could incite communal discord. In November 2003, the Calcutta High Court put out an injunction against publication after a poet, Syed Hasmat. The CPI(M) government banned the book on 28 November 2003 fearing that book could incite communal discord. In November 2003, the Calcutta High Court put out an injunction against publication after a poet, Syed Hasmat Jalal, filed a 110 million INR defamation.
This entry is still incomplete: more jurisdictions, court orders, and translated justifications should be added over time.
This page is intentionally incomplete. The ban history is a starter dataset, not a final census of every jurisdiction or decree.
Counter and critical readings
Context, rebuttals, and criticism
- The Origins of Totalitarianism Hannah Arendt
A foundational analysis of state terror, propaganda, and ideological conformity.
- On Tyranny Timothy Snyder
A short modern guide to resisting authoritarian politics and controlled public discourse.
- 100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature Nicholas J. Karolides, Margaret Bald, and Dawn B. Sova
A compact reference on how censorship systems moved across states, churches, and courts.
- Banned Books: 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D. Anne Lyon Haight
Useful for comparing older obscenity, heresy, and political bans with modern free-speech disputes.
Ban history
Known government actions
| Date | Jurisdiction | Action | Reason | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | India | banned publication, sale, or possession | The CPI(M) government banned the book on 28 November 2003 fearing that book could incite communal discord. In November 2003, the Calcutta High Court put out an injunction against publication after a poet, Syed Hasmat. | The CPI(M) government banned the book on 28 November 2003 fearing that book could incite communal discord. In November 2003, the Calcutta High Court put out an injunction against publication after a poet, Syed Hasmat Jalal, filed a 110 million INR defamation. |
Sources
Harvested references for this page
- Wikipedia: List of books banned in India reference partial
- Wikipedia REST summary API database partial
- The Origins of Totalitarianism book not started
- On Tyranny book not started
- 100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature book partial
- Banned Books: 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D. book partial