'Damaging Message To Girls': Arundhati Roy's Book Cover Stirs Controversy

Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy's latest book, "Mother Mary Come to Me," is facing scrutiny in a Kerala court over its cover, which features the author smoking a cigarette. A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed, seeking a ban on the book's sale and circulation unless the cover is changed or a statutory warning is added. 

The PIL, filed by lawyer Rajasimhan, presents two main arguments against the book's cover. Firstly, it contends that the image is offensive to the sentiments of the Christian community and violates laws related to the portrayal of religious figures. 

The plea also argues that the cover "glorifies" the act of smoking, sending a "damaging message" to society, particularly to girls and women. It asserts that the cover falsely promotes the idea that smoking is "fashionable, intellectually stimulating, and intrinsically associated with creativity."

What the petition argues

The petition claims that the cover of Mother Mary Comes To Me violates the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), which prohibits direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products without a mandatory health warning. The PIL asks the court not only to ban the sale but also to have all copies of the book withdrawn from the market.

A bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji of the Kerala High Court has taken up the matter. On Thursday, the court issued a notice to the central government, asking for information on whether any agency or mechanism exists to deal with such issues. The case is scheduled for a further hearing on September 25.

The book's publisher has defended the cover, stating that the image is a metaphor and not a literal depiction. They have clarified that the book is a work of fiction that explores various themes, including the intersection of faith and modern life. The outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings will ultimately determine the book's availability with its current cover.

About Mother Mary Comes to Me

Arundhati Roy's journey to writing Mother Mary Comes to Me began in September 2022 after the demise of Mary Roy, her mother, from whom she distanced herself at the age of 18. Speaking about her book, Roy had previously expressed,

"I have been writing this book all my life. Perhaps a mother like mine deserved a writer like me as a daughter. Equally, perhaps a writer like me deserved a mother like her. Even more than a daughter mourning the passing of her mother, I mourn her as a writer who has lost her most enthralling subject."

Manasi Subramaniam, Editor-in-Chief of Penguin Press, Penguin Random House India, had previously said, "Filled with heart and nerve, humour and pathos, and the very raw edges of love, Mother Mary Comes to Me is a visceral and unflinching account of personal and political awakening. We are delighted to share it with the world."