‘Rushdie is not simply a storyteller’

Author Ashutosh Varshney unmasks the political and cultural side of Salman Rushdie in his latest book

What drew you to a subject like Salman Rushdie — perhaps one of the most controversial writers in the world?
As a political scientist, I found Midnight’s Children and Shame arresting.  He had an engaging way of weaving in the political and the personal — and his ability to comment thoughtfully on politics and history makes him a public figure, not simply a novelist. An opportunity to interact with him arose when, under the direction of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Midnight’s Children premiered as a play at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I was a professor there at the time and also director of the Center for South Asian Studies. My university asked me to organise  “intellectual events” around Rushdie’s work. The materials presented during those “events”, and revised later, form the bulk of the book

What would you say was his most fascinating facet revealed while interviewing him?
To me, the most interesting thing is that Rushdie is not simply a storyteller but a highly sophisticated intellectual, who can take remarkably insightful positions on politics and history. I have met several novelists who are unable to say anything sensible beyond their stories.
 
Even 20 years after the fatwa, what continues to be his greatest challenge?
How to honestly say and write what he wants to; without offending some powerful groups.

Does ‘complete creative freedom’ exist in the 21st century?
It should, but it does not. Politics is both a source of freedom and an awful constraint. Inspiring transformations in politics can often be liberating for writers and artists, but down in the shadows often lurk political forces that wish to chain imagination and free speech. 

How did you’ll decide on who the other essayists (in Midnight’s Diaspora) would be?
Daniel Herwitz, my co-editor and a philosopher of art, and I had no doubt that Rushdie’s work was relevant not simply to the literary world but also to the social scientists and philosophers. On that basis, we chose our contributors, who enjoyed the invitation of writing freely on Rushdie.