After A 36-Year Ban, Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’ Is Back On Sale In India (image-X/sorcerical)
New Delhi: Following its publication in 1988, renowned author Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses landed in a massive controversy, with Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa (death warrant) against Rushdie a year later. The death threats prompted the author to go into hiding and seek refuge in London.
Across Pakistan and India, protests erupted with demands for a ban on the book. Late Janata Party MP Syed Shahabuddin and Khurshid and late Congress leader Alam Khan in India demanded a ban.
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The Satanic Verses involves pre-Islamic goddesses and Islamic themes, including Prophet Mohammad and the archangel Gabriel—a significant figure in Judeo-Christianity as well. The book drew the ire of several Muslim leaders across the world, with many branding the novel “blasphemous.”
Fearing a public unrest, the Rajiv Gandhi government banned the importing of the book in the country.
Since the publication of the book, there have been several failed assassination attempts on Rushdie and others associated with it. Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi was stabbed to death in 1991; Italian translator Ettore Capriolo survived an attack with multiple stab injuries. There were many more.
In 2022, Rushdie survived an assassination attempt but lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand.
The ban on the book led to widespread debates and discourse on censorship and freedom of speech, especially when related to religious topics.
Nearly 37 years later, Rushdie’s book is back on sale in India because of a legal loophole.
On November 5, 2019, during the hearing of a case challenging the import ban on the book in India, the Delhi High Court lifted the ban after the government was unable to produce the original notification that imposed it in 1988. The court had no other option but to presume that no such notification exists, effectively lifting the ban on November 5.
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“@SalmanRushdie‘s The Satanic Verses is now in stock at Bahrisons Booksellers! This groundbreaking & provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes. It has also been at the center of intense global controversy since it’s release, sparking debates on free expression, faith, & art. Whether you’re discovering it for the first time or revisiting its pages, this literary triumph is one that challenges and inspires,” Bahrisons Bookseller (New Delhi) said in an X post.
@SalmanRushdie ‘s The Satanic Verses is now in stock at Bahrisons Booksellers!
This groundbreaking & provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes. It has also been at the center of intense global controversy since it’s pic.twitter.com/e0mtQjoMCb— Bahrisons Bookseller (@Bahrisons_books) December 23, 2024
Although the book is yet to be available on online e-commerce platforms for sale. It will depend on the publishers or sellers to sell the books in bookstores. However, readers can buy The Satanic Verses from international booksellers online, as it’s no longer illegal to import the book into India.
