The Republic of Hurt Sentiments

"The protest-readings from Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses must force a rethink of our religious hate speech laws and what they mean for freedom of expression."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : The Republic of Hurt Sentiments: If the ‘Rushdie readings' trigger a much larger rethink about our religious hate speech laws and what they mean for freedom of expression, then the controversy would have been well worth the making.

Kolkata's Shame

Despite 'poribarton', little change from the Left

Kolkata's Shame

-The Times of India, February 3, 2012

The recent cancelling of the launch of Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen's latest book, Nirbashan (Exile), at the Kolkata Book Fair is "yet another example of tacit political endorsement of fundamentalists militating against freedom of expression."

The West Bengal government adopted the same spineless posture that was characteristic of the Rajasthan government.

Can our "cherished democratic values" be repeatedly held hostage by some fundamentalists?  

Not playing at a theatre near you

"First Rushdie, then the cancellation of a seminar and film screening on Kashmir at a Pune college, now Taslima Nasreen. It seems there is no end to India's capacity for easy surrender when it comes to the freedom of expression."

All this is clearly unheeding of several Supreme Court verdicts, that public authorities must protect the freedom of expression, and cannot resort to bans in the name of upholding law and order. The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Not playing at a theatre near you

Such pusillanimity has come to the fore during elections in important States where political parties are seeking votes on communal platforms — despite all the evidence that minority voters do not want to be treated in this way — is a sad reflection on the condition of the world's largest democracy and its leaders.

India Can't Be China

Media messages aren't responsible for social chaos

India Can't Be China

-The Times of India, February 2, 2012

"We are witness to massive changes in power structures and ways of life. The once powerful nation-state struggles to control flows of information and ideas across its borders"

Writers must serve a social purpose

"A look at the role of literature, in the context of the recent Jaipur Literature Festival."

Markandey Katju, the author is the Chairman of the Press Council of India, and a former Judge of the Supreme Court. There are two theories about art and literature. The first, ‘art for art's sake' and the second, ‘art for social purpose'. The author ponders on the question of "Which of these should be adopted and followed by artists and writers in India today?" The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Writers must serve a social purpose

In the author's view, "Much of the ‘Literature' Festival was really a caricature. Much of the time was wasted on Salman Rushdie, whom I regard as a very mediocre writer who would have been unknown to most people but for The Satanic Verses. There were, of course, serious writers too whose work deals with the problems of the people but they received no attention in comparison."

There is hardly any good art and literature today before us. Where are the Sarat Chandras and Premchands? Where are the Kabirs, the Dickens? There seems to be a vacuum in artistic and literary terms. Everything seems to have become commercialised. Writers write not to highlight the plight of the masses but to earn money.

Bringing down the fatwa wall

"Standing up for Rushdie is about standing up for every book, painting and film attacked or censored."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Bringing down the fatwa wall: Now here we were, in 2012, twenty-three years after The Satanic Verses was blocked from import; standing by, as Rushdie himself was being blocked from attending a festival because of that blocked book. Even though he has come to India many times since the ‘ban', even though he had not tried to revive the book on any of his visits.

The governments in Delhi and Jaipur, greedy for a few votes and fearful of losing them, are yet again stepping back from confronting the identity merchants.

The threat to Salman Rushdie's life

Dr. Gurdial Singh Sandhu, IAS, Principal Secretary, Home Affairs, Home Guards & Civil Defence Jail, Government of Rajasthan, defends the state government against the allegations that have surfaced by saying "It seems that complete information may not have been available with you on this incident."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : The threat to Salman Rushdie's life

In response the editor of The Hindu defends the editorial “A national shame” in The Hindu on Monday, 23 January, 2012. and other related articles that were published.

A Ray Of Hope

There are important lessons to be learnt from the Jaipur Literature Festival's success 


A Ray Of Hope

-The Times of India, January 28, 2012

Chetan Bhagat looks at the positive side of things in India, which is to do with the world-famous Jaipur Literature Festival, and its success. He posits six reasons behind the JLF phenomenon.

"Let us rejoice that India, once known as the land of scholars and knowledge, still has the best literary festival in the world."

You're Free To Call Me Stupid

You're Free To Call Me Stupid

India's global status is now under question. Since the last two years, India has seen itself on the wrong side of the good for all the "2G scam, corruption, urban chaos, an administrative near-paralysis on decision-making, a dysfunctional parliament with a do-nothing opposition and an apparent official unwillingness to take up the responsibilities that go with a global role"

And now, freedom of speech and expression in a secular democracy is under arrest. 

A Trimmed Idea Of India

Liberals must stop accommodating fringe elements and take a stand on fundamentals

A Trimmed Idea Of India

-The Times of India, January 27, 2012

When JLF opens itself to public, it invites the Indian liberals - not the "manicured handful of intellectuals discussing the Russian or Tamil Stalin at clubs and TV studios" - but "thousands of people from diverse classes and languages, spread over distant cities and towns - often obtaining books from fading libraries and railway carts, debating poets in the low-voltage light of old homes, opposing the unjust hierarchies of Indian life," says Srijana Mitra Das.

"As more Indians show intolerance to anyone who threatens violence, we will have more festivals where liberal and illiberal will use only their words to make points or refute them."

It is these Indians, and the growing numbers, that will challenge book bans, "and show the finger to anyone who threatens violence" in the future.  

Salamn Rushdie's non-appearance

Salman Rushdie did not attend the Jaipur literature festival as his creative expression has openly arrived under skepticism and has been indicated by the intelligence to be life-threatening.

This fact has faced the ire by the Indian media and by Salman Rushdie himself.

But, "Have we created a mountain out of a molehill? Does the present controversy deserve such a media attention? Is it due to the latest Islamophobia?" asks Firdous Syed

Rushdie Episode

Indian Police : Over-policing???

The Indian police system did not allow the outspoken Rushdie to express his views in the Jaipur literature festival...

Was it right on their part? Have they still upheld the ideology of Right of Speech...? Are they supporting the neo-liberal Indian?

Abhinav Kumar, A serving IPS Utharrakhand officer doesn't think so and he detailedly explains why... Infact, he beautifully explains the mechanisms of the Indian IPS, their roles and their mis functioning.

"The Rushdie Row"

Republic Of Fear

A democracy shouldn't ban books 

Republic Of Fear

-The Times of India, January 25, 2012

"When literary festivals ought to be a celebration of India's cultural vibrancy book bans, it is clear, have a train of unhealthy effects. They are one more weapon in the state's armoury to infantilise citizens and stymie civil society. It's time the government grasped the nettle by foregoing book bans, which would also entail repealing the ban on The Satanic Verses."

Stop The Hate

Kashmir's main political parties must act to prevent zealotry in the Valley


Stop The Hate

-The Times of India, January 24, 2012

Besides Rushdie issue, religious bigotry is on song in Kashmir. Christians and NGOs have been targeted for persuading young Muslim youth to give up on their faith in return for liquor, women and money. They were in fact made to appear before a sharia court. Unfortunately for them, only a proper court can take any decision on infringement of laws. The national conference-led government must act swiftly, and with great purpose, to instill confidence in our proposed secular traditions.   

Playing With Fire

The Congress is repeating old mistakes by exploiting the Rushdie issue for electoral purposes

Playing With Fire

-The Times of India, January 23, 2012

The Rushdie affair might have set grave precedents for further public restrictions, fears the writer.

"Like in 1986-88, the Congress is sedulously promoting the idea of Muslim distinctiveness - institutionalising into permanency a legal separateness (in 1986) and a political separateness (now)"

A national shame

"A ‘plot' to kill the eminent author Salman Rushdie had been invented by the Rajasthan Police in a pathetic but successful attempt to dissuade him from participating in the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival. Far too many Indians have lost their lives to terrorists for security to be made a plaything to serve a political agenda. "

"After the hounding of M.F. Husain and Taslima Nasreen by Hindu and Muslim fanatics, India has again betrayed its heritage of providing sanctuary to persecuted individuals and ideas, not to speak of its Constitution." The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : A national shame: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, fearful of being made a scapegoat within the Congress if the party does poorly in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, betrayed his constitutional obligations.

Mr. Rushdie is entitled to a full apology for this shameful episode and to an unconditional assurance that he is welcome in India.

Salman Rushdie and India's new theocracy

"India's secular state is in a state of slow-motion collapse. The contours of a new theocratic dystopia are already evident."

The betrayal of secular India in Jaipur, though, is just part of a far wider treason: one that doesn't have to do with Muslim clerics alone, but a state that has turned god into a public-sector undertaking. The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Salman Rushdie & India's new theocracy: Few Indians understand the extent to which the state underwrites the practice of their faith. The State's subsidies to the Kumbh Mela, Haj pilgrimage, education funds committed to teaching pseudo-sciences like astrology, among them. In 2006-07, these kinds of activities accounted for Delhi's budget allocation ahead of environmental protection and civil defence.

"India is a country that most needs a decline in the scope of religion in civil society for it to turn its constitutional promise of secular democracy into a reality. But, India is a country least hospitable to such a decline". The real costs of India's failure to secularise: among them, the perpetuation of caste and gender inequities, the stunting of reason and critical facilities needed for economic and social progress; the corrosive growth of religious nationalism. India cannot undo this harm until god and god's will are ejected from our public life.

The time has come for Indian secular-democrats to assert the case for a better universe: a universe built around citizenship and rights, not the pernicious identity politics the state and its holy allies encourage.

Take A Stand

A true secular state must ensure freedom of expression


Take A Stand

-The Times of India, January 19, 2012

India is "constitutionally bound to be secular; needs to uphold both" - the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion, urges the editor.

"It is time political parties came out strongly in defence of secularism and freedom of expression. Without these handmaidens, democracy itself is stillborn."

Stand up for Salman Rushdie

"Instead of dismissing the unlawful fatwa with the contempt it deserves, the central and Rajasthan governments have adopted an attitude that is opaque and obfuscatory."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Stand up for Salman Rushdie: The Supreme Court has underlined in a series of verdicts, that it is absolutely vital that public authorities protect the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression in the face of intolerance and not resort to bans in the name of upholding law and order.

The Congress-led governments should have sent a clear and strong signal that they would not allow Mr. Rushdie's visit to be sabotaged by those who feigned anger and hurt with an eye to a supposedly communal vote bank. It is an insult to the intelligence and good sense of India's 160 million-strong Muslim community.

A Crucial Test

Political class must reject Deoband's call to block Rushdie visit


A Crucial Test

-The Times of India, January 11, 2012

Personal Review: The article outlines the call for blocking Salman Rushdie from attending the Jaipur Literary Festival as placing "Congress in a quandary." It also provides a history of "not getting over the past" even after the row over Rushdie's Satanic Verses had been subsided. Furthermore, it shows the proactive role India has played in opposing him and his books.