In a fresh development in the case of writer Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, the Jharkhand Government has decided to revoke his suspension and given his job back. A doctor by profession, he was posted at an Additional Primary Health Centre in Pakur at the time of his suspension.
Following the controversy around his book, The Adivasis Will Not Dance, the Jharkhand High Court formed a committee to look into the allegation that his book was pornographic in nature and showed the Santhals in a bad light. In an interview with the Indian Cultural Forum last year in November, Shekhar talked about the ban on his book, his discomfort with labels, and how the stories in The Adivasis Will Not Dance, came into being.
The ban on the book was revoked in December 2017, but his suspension from work continued.
Hansda was trolled on social media following the ban of his book. Many writers, activists and civil society groups came in his defence.
Hansda’s latest book, Jwala Kumar and the Gift of Fire: Adventures in Champakbagh, was released last week. It has been published by Speaking Tiger. Another forthcoming book titled My Father's Garden, is scheduled to be released towards the end of this year.
