Read Many Ramayanas – A.K. Ramanujan’s Controversial Ramayana Essay – Read it before forming an opinion

A.K. Ramanujan’s Controversial Ramayana Essay – ‘Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations’ was dropped from from the BA (honours) syllabus by Delhi University after protests from Hindu Groups. Hindu groups called the essay ‘obscene’ and ‘blasphemous’ and filed a writ petition in the high court. Finally the essay was dropped after a vote in the academic council.

The History Department in Delhi University plans to protest the removal of the essay as they feel the academic council has bowed before the Hindu Right wing in the country.

So we will be hearing lot of noises on this subject all routine – secular versus religious fundamentalists.

If you happen to be one troubled by all this noise – then form an opinion after reading the essay not by listening to the secularists and fundamentalists.

You can read the essay here - Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations.