Muslim groups, opposed to the scheduled visit of the controversial author Salman Rushdie to the Jaipur Literature Festival starting here on Friday, withdrew their decision to stage a protest.
The dramatic development came late on Thursday evening after Congress MP from Jaipur Mahesh Joshi met Muslim leaders in the Musaffir Khana and assured them of “keeping Mr. Rushdie away” throughout the festival period.
The Muslim leaders told The Hindu that Jaipur's Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Naruka too visited the Musaffir Khana to inform them that the author would not be coming to the city.
Earlier, the talks between the Muslim groups led by Rajasthan Muslim Forum and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and the two organisers, Sanjoy Roy and Namita Gokhale, in a city hotel got bogged down as the Muslim leaders insisted on a categorical statement from the festival management that Mr. Rushdie's invitation stood cancelled. The leaders said they did not have anything against the festival but Mr. Rushdie, whom they termed a “criminal,” would not be allowed to come to Jaipur.
There were more than a dozen Muslim leaders, who were insistent that the writer would not be welcome even for a day. There were rumours and, some local newspaper reports, that Mr. Rushdie might make a surprise appearance at the festival after skipping the initial two days.
The Muslim leaders, who later met at the Musaffir Khana for six hours to deliberate on the plan of action decided to go ahead with the dharna programme in front of the Jama Masjid in the Walled City's Johri Bazar after the Friday prayers. “We are not against literature. We are happy about the Jaipur Literature Festival coming up so well. However, there is no compromise on Mr. Rushdie who has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims the world over through his writings. If there is no categorical stand on cancellation of his visit we will go ahead with our protest as well,” said Engineer Saleem, national secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
Dirty politics in the name of Religion. The communal people which only care for religion, along with the chauvinist politicians playing a dirty game just to play a vote bank politics. The ruling government in Center and State cannot take a dare to annoy their vote bank, so created such a situation to make Mr. Rushdie cancel his visit. If there was no election in UP and Assam the situation in the time being they must have taken some different view. Just a word 'Shame'.
@Raihan, the reason Darul Uloom is there is because of inactive moderates and weakness of society. Secularism and democracy are for nations who have rule of law-not for weak nations like India which get confused between tolerance and impotency of law. As long as this happens, India is a joke. A set of few individuals challenged nation of 1 billion and WON. Shame! Congress will pay price for this.
Another one bites the dust. Quite on expected lines.........
This is such a shame. By definition of a secular democracy,no religious body has any right to intervene with the personal liberty of a citizen. Rushdie has all rights to attend the Jaipur festival. It would be better if darul uloom stopped commenting on such issues and start focussing on socio economic status of muslims in india.Its time to Stop tarnishing the face of indian muslims.
What kind of democracy do we have?This govt does everything for a few votes but it does not know that by not allowing Mr Rushdie to visit the Congress might get some muslim votes but at the same time lose votes of educated people like me.This spineless govt should have invited Mr Rushdie with open hands without yielding to the demand of a few muslim goondas.
Literary freedom should not be held hostage in a free country just
because of some ill-informed citizens. World renowned and reputed
personalities foster growth in literature. They provide more value to
creative minds than the cacophony that media dishes out day after day.
There is something called freedom of speech in this country, guaranteed
by constitution, and it is being subverted here.
Rushdie is the greatest South Asian writer of this generation. How on earth is it even possible that the author of "Midnight's children" is not invited to address a literary gathering in India ??? Rushdie's works are studied in English literature classes the world over as an example of "post-colonial English literature". As a French student of English, I remember having to write an essay on "Midnight's Children". I just CANNOT believe that such a world-class writer is banned from India, of all places.This is preposterous ! Rushdie is the most talented yielder of the English language produced by the Indian sub-continent over the last fifty years.The "Satanic Verses" is a fine book, though not Rushdie's best. The fact that certain extremist Muslims chose to single him out for political reasons thirty years ago should have no bearing on the decision to invite him. His depiction of Muhammad in "The SAtanic Verses" is only a very minor plot twist, and actually makes him more accessible.
hmm...one step towards becoming another Pakistan.
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