Complaint filed against RSS’s publishing house at Sharjah Book Fair

A complaint has been filed against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS’s) publishing house, Kurukshetra Prakasan, at one of the world's largest book fairs, the Sharjah International Book Fair.

The complaint has been filed by Satyadhara Publications with the Sharjah Book Fair management. In the complaint, it has been claimed that the book published by Kurukshetra Prakasan is based on provocative propaganda against Muslims and it hurts those who have faith in Islam.

The controversial book reportedly focuses on Savarkar's ideas, asking provocative questions to Muslims and berating Islam.

This kind of complaint has been filed for the first time at the Sharjah Book Fair. According to sources, the UAE’s Ministry of Religion and Ministry of Culture have started probing the matter.

The General manager of Kurukshetra Prakasan, Rajesh Chandran, told National Herald that his publication house has been setting up a book stall at Sharjah Book Fair for the past two years. “This is being done to promote the ideology and politics of RSS,” he said at the book fair. “We are getting an overwhelming response. Our stall is emerging as a major centre for the Hindus living in the UAE as no other publishing house here brings out such religious and nationalistic literature.”

Notably, while the RSS is increasing its reach in India, it has been working on its long-term expansionist agenda abroad as well. And it has made its presence felt at the book fair in Sharjah, with its agenda of promoting saffron nationalism.

The stall of Kerala's RSS, Indraprastha, according to sources, has been selling books on the lives and work of organisation’s ideologues such as Golwalkar, Savarkar and Hedgewar.

The Sharjah International Book Fair saw an impressive participation from Kerala among other states of India. In UAE, more than 13 lakh people from Kerala stay and work.

The book fair, which started on November 1, comes to a close on November 11. For Malayalam publishers, the organisers of the fair have arranged a separate hall which is drawing the maximum footfall.