The Vadodara Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) had invited distorian Devdutt Pattanaik to speak at an event scheduled for January 17 at Ravi Varma Studio in Laxmi Vilas Palace compound, Vadodara. The invitation said that Pattanaik was invited to deliver a talk on “Exploring the stories of Ramayana in the works of Raja Ravi Varma.”
Following this announcement, netizens reacted to the invitation and questioned the choice of guest, expressing shock and disappointment. This prompted netizens to share screenshots of his abusive and sexually derogatory tweets against women from the past.
Some of these are as follows:
He has also posted anti-Modi/anti-BJP content.
Some of his distorted history content, anti-Hindu includes:
It is a known fact that he has frequently resorted to employing offensive language on social media against individuals who hold opinions differing from his on social media. HinduPost also raised questions on the choice of speaker for the event. We highlighted Pattanaik’s history of making inflammatory statements and engaging in abusive behaviour online that included making casteist slurs, abusive jibes, and sexist remarks.
It was announced on January 10 that the event stands cancelled – a small yet significant win for the Hindu Samaj for coming together when it mattered.
IGNCA operates as an autonomous trust under the purview of the Ministry of Culture.
Some of his casteist posts include:
Devdutt Pattanaik has been involved in previous controversies, including comments on the historical origins of Bhagwan Ram and derogatory tweets. In January 2022, he publicly apologised for past misogynistic tweets but faced criticism for admitting to using rape as a tool for revenge in the same statement.
In July 2020, he supported the assertion made by Nepal’s Prime Minister that Bhagwan Ram originated from Nepal. Additionally, he referred to India as a “land of Monkeys” while making derisive remarks about Bhagwan Hanuman.
Some of his posts after the cancellation indicated that he was having a meltdown. Here are some screenshots from his handle.
The incident raises questions about the criteria for selecting speakers for cultural events and the responsibility of cultural organisations in ensuring a respectful and inclusive discourse. It is high time that self-proclaimed “mythologists” and distorians like Devdutt Pattanaik are not encouraged like that are now, giving them platforms to spew lies and vitriol is a disservice to Hindu Samaj. Having written several books, the language used by this “author” is so questionable that it makes one lose respect for writers.
Interestingly, The Print had published an article on his abusive tweets in 2020 (probably the peak of his abusive posts) calling his Twitter (now X) timeline the proof of midlife crisis.
