Book on Sambhaji stirs outrage, writer apologises

Pune: Publisher Lakhe Prakashan and Dr Shubha Sathe, the writer of a book that allegedly claims that Sambhaji Maharaj was a drunkard and kept bad company, have apologised after the Sambhaji Brigade criticised the contents of the book and also filed a police complaint.

The book, Sri Samartha Ramdas Sami, written by Dr Shubha Sathe, is prescribed as a supplementary book for kids under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

The book says Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire, was a drunkard and kept bad company in the form of Kavi Kalash. Sami Samartha would listen to the stories of Sambhaji’s bad behaviour and had also contacted Sambhaji for the same.

On Thursday, Santosh Shinde, city head of the Sambhaji Brigade, said, “The book portraying Sambhaji in a bad light is being taught in schools is unfortunate. How the education department gave permission to this book to be given to read to kids? We have given a complaint to the police.”

Later, Dr Shubha Sathe, writer of the book, apologised saying that she did not mean to hurt anybody’s feelings. Lakhe Prakashan also issued, an apology saying that it did not mean to hurt the feelings of anybody and that it did not intend to portray Sambhaji in a bad light. It also stated that it would correct the content in the next edition of the book.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is aimed at the universalisation of elementary education “in a time bound manner”.