Burn the Book

 Paper auto ignites at 451*F, atleast that is the reason Roy Bradbury titled his cult book. Books, which in effect means thoughts, are sought to be attacked, censored and silenced by authoritarian state. It’s a potent means to control ideas and differing views into streamlined narration by powerful interests. Controlling thoughts was what Nazis attempted which were then manipulated to create narrations of horror. It was a weapon used by invading forces during the medieval times -to burn books/libraries is to erase ideas, collective insights and memories of culture. That is what they did in Nalanda, it is said that books burned for weeks and months. Civilizational influence of Buddhism on the subcontinent was sought to be erased. You still see charred walls. Only brutes would do a such thing.  There is no doubt that censoring thoughts and banning books are serious threat to freedom and is an assault on humanity. It should concern every one of us.

That being said banning books or censoring by state is not same as protest by individuals or group. An individual or a group anywhere has the right to burn books or texts or scriptures as they feel the need for it. The reference of holy doesn’t stand the scrutiny. Your holy is my non holy, vice versa. The book is not being banned or censored just that I don’t like it or better still I feel like burning it -ofcourse in confined space so as to not harm anyone or property. It is a choice that defines individual right and freedom. Any attempt to curtail it is an assault on egalitarian space. I should have the right to buy any book, and need be toss into nearest dustbin or burn it if I feel like it (the argument against is air pollution as also burning book is not an aesthetic response nevertheless choice of that response matters). You cannot control my action of burning book because it seems to “hurt your sentiments”. Burning a book doesn’t ban the book nor censor the idea. Not allowing to burn a book does serious damage to humanity. Burning a book is contextual to individual action which is different from burning books. Burning a book is a counter idea, a protest, a revolt, while burning books is vandalism. We are not living in the framework of last century hence the semantics or narration doesn’t hold. Any attempt otherwise is devious control. Further, in today’s interconnected world nobody can ban or censor books or ideas. We should have website containing all the books, ideas, movies, documentaries, articles, that is banned anywhere in the world, with sponsors ready to distribute it free anywhere across the world for common people to access or private libraries to store.

Most importantly these holy books/scriptures/texts that are used by powerful forces to control is trapped in time and carry notions of medieval primitive era -which ofcourse have right to exist, these anachronistic presences have caused immense misery to people. These are actively meant to dehumanize degrade humans into unthinking herds. There are progressive ideas that have resisted these for centuries which cannot be undermined or silenced. There is an attempt by powerful forces in West (white man’s burden) to create and control narration to patronize regressive forces, essentially to redeem themselves. You cannot curtail individual right to pander regressive religions and violent herds. You cannot force sacredness on common people. Every life is sacred. Learn to value life and its diversity. That is more than enough. Burn Bible. Burn Koran. Burn Gita. Burn Holy Book of any religion. Burn the Book. As the mind evolves aesthetics will decide for the individual what is valued and society to treasure. 

*PS: personally i consider even marking with pen (and not pencil) on a book a crime!