Salman Rushdie's 'Satanic Verses' back on Indian bookshelves, Muslim bodies erupt in anger

The book, which was released in 1988, is a magical realism novel that explores themes of religion, identity, and alienation

Nearly 37 years after its import was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi-led central government, Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses is back in Indian bookstores.

The  book, priced at Rs 1,999, is only available at Bahrisons Booksellers stores across Delhi-NCR under "Limited Stock".

In November, the Delhi High Court closed the proceedings on a petition challenging the Rajiv Gandhi government's ban on the import of the novel, saying since authorities have failed to produce the relevant notification, it has to be "presumed that it does not exist".

Why was the book banned in India?

The book, which was released in 1988, is a magical realism novel that explores themes of religion, identity, and alienation. It is also considered a critique of religion in general and Islamic religion in particular.

The ban was put at a time when the Rajiv Gandhi government was trying to balance Muslim sentiments and a rising Ayodhya temple movement. The Muslims around the world were enraged with the content of the book, and many labelled it “blasphemous”. Additionally, the government was facing backlash for overturning a Supreme Court verdict in the Shah Bano case.

This is how Congress spins it fables and media amplifies it, turning fiction into fact: That Salman Rushdie's book 'The Satanic Verses' was 'proscribed' due to protest and pressure by Muslims.This is NOT true.The Satanic Verses was proscribed (its import prohibited) even https://t.co/9ZIEFYZntY
Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) December 26, 2024

Protests began taking place in different parts of the world, including India.

In Mumbai, Rushdie’s hometown, 12 people were killed during intense Muslim rioting, the British embassy in Tehran was stoned, and a $3 million bounty was put on the author’s head. As recently as August 2022, Rushdie was attacked during a public lecture in New York, leaving him partially blind and with limited mobility in one hand.

Under pressure from religious groups, the Rajiv Gandhi regime issued a customs order banning the book’s import on October 5, 1988.

The decision was widely criticised as it was seen that the Congress government was giving into religious pressure. Rushdie himself wrote an open letter to Rajiv Gandhi denouncing the ban. The government later claimed the restriction applied only to the book’s import, not its content — a distinction that did little to appease critics.

What does Congress say?

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Rajiv government, earlier said that the decision to ban the book was wrong. He reiterated his view when contacted. “I maintain the same view that I said in 2015,” he told The Indian Express.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called it a “welcome development”. “I had opposed the original ban but the argument made at the time was concerned about law and order, and the risk of violent disturbances. I believe that 35 years later, that risk is minimal. Indians should have the right to read all of Rushdie’s works and judge their content for themselves,” he told IE?

Why are Muslim organisations seeking ban again?

Maulana Yasub Abbas, general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, has criticised the renewed availability of the book, stating, “There is talk of lifting the ban after 36 years. On behalf of the Shia Personal Law Board, I appeal to the Indian government to ensure the ban remains firmly in place.” “The book mocks Islamic views, insults Prophet Muhammad and his companions, and hurts sentiments. Allowing its sale poses a threat to the country’s harmony. I urge the prime minister to impose a complete ban on this book in India,” he said.

Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, said in a statement, “The ban on The Satanic Verses has expired. Now, some publishers are planning to reprint the book in India. Back in 1988, Rajiv Gandhi’s government immediately banned it, but now preparations are underway to reintroduce it in India after the expiration of the ban.” “This book insults Islam, Prophet Muhammad, and several Islamic figures. Its content is so offensive that it cannot be repeated. Allowing this book in the market will disturb the nation’s atmosphere. No Muslim can tolerate seeing this hateful book on any bookstore shelf,” Razvi added.