After novelists read out passages from the banned book, organisers sent out a press release, dissociating themselves from the writers.
Not long after novelists Hari Kunzru and Amitava Kumar read out passages from the banned Satanic Verses at the Jaipur Literature Festival in protest against Salman Rushdie’s forced withdrawal from the Festival, the organisers sent out a press release, dissociating themselves from the writers.
“Certain delegates acted in a manner during their sessions today which were without the prior knowledge or consent of the organisers... Any comments made by the delegates reflect their personal, individual views and are not endorsed by the Festival or attributable to its organisers,” it stated.
Other writers at the festival were rather disappointed at this. “I’m on the side of the writers (who read passages from Satanic Verses),” said David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker.
“I think it’s horrifying that I didn’t hear any Indian politicians speak out against this.”
“It’s wrong to silence any voice. And definitely not voices like Rushdie’s. This just sends out the wrong message about the use of violence,” said Taiye Selasi, whose first book Ghana Must Go will be published this year. Head of publishing house Navayana, S Anand strongly criticised the organisers’ actions. “I support the stand taken by Kunzru and Amitava Kumar. I want to express my outrage over the organisers who have acted with pusillanimity,” he said.
Shouldn’t the organisers of a literature festival come out in support of a writer and his work? “The book has been banned in India and we did not want to be on the wrong side of the law,” said Sanjoy K Roy, producer of the festival.
Adman, and lyricist Prasoon Joshi said the organisers were right in dissociating themselves from Kunzru’s act. “On the one hand, we want freedom of speech and on the other we also want protection. We can’t go about saying what we want and then expect the authorities to protect us,” he said.
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