Russian court rejects petition for banning Bhagwat Gita

Moscow, December 28: A Siberian court has thrown out a petition to ban a translation of Bhagavad Gita as "extremist" literature because it insults non-believers.
Judge Galina Butenko of the Leninsky District Court in Tomsk ruled on Wednesday that there were no grounds for recognising "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" as extremist literature because it is "one of the interpretations of sacred Hindu scripture 'Bhagavad Gita'."
The defence side said it was fully satisfied with the court verdict. "This court decision shows that Russia is indeed becoming a democratic society," said lawyer Alexander Shakhov, who represented at the trial the local branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
State prosecutors had filed the petition against "Bhagavad Gita As It Is", claiming it sowed "social discord." The case was built on expert testimony from local professors of philosophy and philology, who said the book expresses religious hatred and discriminates on the basis of gender, race, nationality and language.
Prosecutors offered no comment as they left the court after the verdict. The Tomsk court rejected the charges against Bhagavad Gita against the background of an uproar the trial provoked both in India and Russia.
On the eve of Wednesday's hearing External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna had summoned the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi, Alexander Kadakin, asking the Russian government to provide all possible help to resolve the issue.
Russia's Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin said the attempt to ban Bhagavad Gita amounted to "infringement on the constitutional right to the freedom of consciousness."
The case against Bhagavad Gita had been filed on the basis of the 2002 Russian anti-extremism law, criticised in Russia for providing a loose definition of extremist activity. Human rights activists said the law has sometimes been used as a tool to suppress legitimate criticism of authorities. The Russian Christian Orthodox Church has also been accused of using the law to fight "non-traditional religions", such as Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Hare Krishna movement in Russia.
In a particularly bizarre case, a court in Rostov Region two years ago accused Leo Tolstoy of extremism. The court ruled that Tolstoy's description of the Russian Orthodox Church teaching as a pack of lies and prejudices was "extremist". Tolstoy was excommunicated by the Orthodox Church. (Agencies)


2011-12-28



blog comments powered by Disqus

India National News Ghulam Nabi Azad Azad Calls for Greater Regional Cooperation in Health PIB/Hyderabad Deccan News April 12/2012 : Addressing the fourth Health Ministers' Conference at Male, Maldives today, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that a strong and vibrant public health care system can cope with the enormous challenges emanating from demographic and epidemiological transition in the SAARC region. "We should collaborate amongst ourselves to find our own concrete solutions which are feasible, cost effective and suitable for our region", Shri Azad said. The Minister added that full advantage of the strength and vibrancy of SAARC in addressing the common health problems of th ... Read More

Latest Headlines United States threat to stop outsourcing from India BHEL Pays All-Time High 136% Interim Dividend for Fiscal 2011-12 Conditions for Indian Citizenship Harvard Business School inaugurated its first classroom in Mumbai Muslim community leaders condemn Journalist Kazmi's arrest Meeting on White Collar Crimes Economic offences related to IT ITES Industry Export of cotton prohibited with immediate effect Issues and Challenges in the Development of Women and Children of Backward Classes Harvard business school opens new classroom at Taj Lands end - Mumbai

An Unwanted Priest, an autobiography of Manmohan Singh, Meira Kumar, Sushma Swar Obaid Humaid Al Tayer meeting the Union Wi - Fi Facility in Trains