The write stuff

The book publishing industry in India has been under pressure of late, what with the prolonged controversies over scholar Wendy Doniger's books on Hinduism. But texts on religion aren't the only source of tension for publishers; controversial corporate histories can also prompt caution. Thus, a book on the Sahara group by journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay was initially turned down by a large multinational publisher before Jaico Publishing House agreed to publish it. Perhaps the defamation suit that Sahara filed against the author vindicated the first refusal. Yet once Sahara agreed to an out-of-court settlement after the author agreed to a disclaimer from the group being appended to the book, several other publishers, including another major multinational one, promptly came forward with offers to publish the book.