Amid much sound and fury, almost 37 years after the Indian government banned its imports, Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses has made a quiet comeback.
The book under ‘Limited Stock’ is now on display at leading Baharisans Booksellers in Delhi.
Khan Market Bookstore posted a message about its latest acquisition at X, and mentions the controversy surrounding the book. “The Satanic Verses is now in stock at Baharison’s Booksellers! This groundbreaking and provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes. Since its release, it has been at the center of intense global controversy, sparking debates on free speech, faith and the arts, It posted on Tuesday.
On August 12, 2022, Rushdie was quoted as justifying the attack by saying that Rushdie had “attacked Islam” by stabbing 24-year-old Lebanese-American Hadi Matar multiple times, confronting an Iranian fatwa in the book.
The sale of the book, which is currently only available in Baharison in Delhi, has started for a month and a half, the Delhi High Court said in response to a petition saying “it has no choice but to assume that such notice (about the ban) exists.”
This happened after government officials failed to produce the said October 5, 1988, notification banning the importation of The Satanic Verses.
The ban was ordered by the Rajiv Gandhi government as it tried to balance Muslim sentiment and the growing Ayodhya temple agitation. Two years ago, the government passed a law overturning a Supreme Court order to pay Shah Bano, under pressure from some Muslim sections, who called it an interference with Islamic personal law. Facing a backlash from Hindu groups, the Rajiv government facilitated the removal of the lock on the structure containing the idols at the disputed Ram temple site. The temple movement that followed eventually paved the way for the rapid growth of the BJP.
Before the Satanic Verses row, the Rajiv government was further hurt by the Bofors scandal and an anti-defamation bill, which was criticized for trying to censor the media. Finally, under increasing calls from Muslim clerics, the government banned the book on October 5, 1988 through a customs order. Later, he will use it as a fig leaf, saying that it is not a banned book, but only an import. Among those who condemned Rajiv for “surrendering” was Rushdie himself, who wrote an open letter to the then prime minister.
On Tuesday, when the book was returned, there was a palpable silence from the political class.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Rajiv government, had said that the decision to ban the book was wrong a few years ago. When contacted, he reiterated his views. He said, ‘I have held the same opinion as I said in 2015 The Indian Express.
When contacted, his party aide and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday: “This is a welcome development. I had opposed the original ban but the argument made then was law and order concerns and the risk of violent disturbances. I believe that after 35 years, that The risk is minimal. Indians should have the right to read all of Rushdie’s works and judge their content for themselves.
Kolkata-based Sandipan Khan, whose 2019 petition seeking a High Court order last month to quash the notification banning the import of The Satanic Verses, has not laid his hands on a copy himself. On the phone, he said: “I tried (to get a copy), but I couldn’t. It’s good news that the book is available in the shops now.
While publishers of The Satanic Verses, Penguin US, were not available for comment, Baharisons said it had received a shipment from its US distributor on Saturday. When contacted, Penguin Random House India declined to comment saying its offices are closed till January 6.
A bookstore executive said on condition of anonymity: “What happened in court is of no interest to us. Technically, we have not even imported. We simply placed orders with distributors and they supplied us. The shipment has to go through customs inspection, which is cleared.”
On whether there is a ban or not, an issue not touched by the court order, the source said: “It’s simple. If there was a ban, it (the shipment) would not have come. The books are for the public… and all the copies we have provided (by the distributor). We took it.”
At the bookstore on Tuesday, salespeople were seen informing curious readers about the newest addition to their store. At least one of them didn’t know about the book and after reading the blurb, asked if it was a new publication.
It’s “very good,” said one salesperson. “It was banned, it was not available anywhere. Now Ban Hat Gaya Hai (This was a banned book, cannot be bought anywhere. Now the ban has been lifted).
Convinced, the woman bought the book. Meanwhile, another pointed it out to a friend, surprised to see it in the store. “Oh, this is the book that was basically banned for the longest time!” she screamed.
Khan added hopefully, “If the book is available in Baharisans, it will now be available in other cities and shops.”
If the Bahrisons expect some quibbles, their price is a steep Rs 1,999. The official admitted Satanic Verses “is on the slightly expensive end”. “There is a certain fee to be paid and there is also the airfare,” the official said, adding that the profit has increased significantly. “It is only the victory of tolerance over intolerance.”
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