Friday, 19 August 2022 | PNS | Nainital
The Uttarakhand high court has provided relief to professor Ajay Singh Rawat by ordering a stay on his arrest in a case against him regarding some disputed portions of his book on the political history of Uttarakhand. The single bench of justice Ravindra Maithani issued this order in the cases which has been set for hearing next on September 15.
According to the case details, some members of the Tharu tribe have alleged that derogatory words have been used for the tribe in Rawat’s book. On the basis of a complaint lodged by Rana Tharu Parishad head Dan Singh Rana, a case was lodged in the Khatima police station against professor Rawat under various sections. The professor approached the high court in response to the case filed against him.
Historian and environmentalist Ajay Rawat said that in his book ‘Uttarakhand Ka Samagra Rajneetik Itihas- 1994 Tak’, the context of the description of the Tharu tribe has been taken from HR Nevil’s government gazetteer which was published by the then United Province government in 1904. He said that his intention was not to hurt the sentiments of any person. Rawat said that he had already apologized in case anybody’s sentiments were hurt, adding that the publisher has recalled the book from the market. The disputed portion will be removed and a new edition will be introduced in the market, he added.
