Rajiv Malhotra, whose criticisms of scholarship on India will be familiar to many on this blog, has been accused by Richard Fox Young of plagiarism in his recent book Indra’s Net. Examples of the problematic passages are publicly available. Many of them appear to be drawn, unacknowledged, from the work of Andrew Nicholson, a member of this blog. Malhotra has himself issued public criticism of plagiarism in the past. There is now a petition circulating to HarperCollins, the book’s publisher, to withdraw the book from publication on these grounds.
Thanks Amod. I have made a joint public statement with my Indian publisher regarding Rajiv Malhotra’s plagiarism here: http://scroll.in/article/742022/upset-about-rajiv-malhotras-plagiarism-even-more-upset-about-distortions-of-my-work
This is that last I plan to say about the matter.
I just want to thank Professor Nicholson for his statement. This should put an end to any further discussion but apparently Mr. Malhotra is still determined to fight on. In case Mr. Malhotra is following this, he might want to remember the legendary words of Joseph Welch in the McCarthy hearings: “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”
Thanks for this, Andrew.
The allegations hurled at Rajiv Malhotra were proved completely false. Most western scholars have no real idea about India and look at India with western lens and their own history of hatred, lies and bloodshed. Rajiv ji is a one man army against these fake historians. Indian men need such inspiration, hope he inspires many to become like him.
You did not mention any evidence here besides a rather narrow claim. The charges of plagiarism become particularly significant because Mr Malhotra had actually referred to Mr Nicholson’s work.