Court Ends 35-Year Ban Due to “Untraceable” Document
The Delhi High Court has lifted a 35-year-old import ban on Salman Rushdie’s controversial novel The Satanic Verses, after Indian authorities were unable to locate the original notification prohibiting the book. The decision came Tuesday in response to a 2019 petition by reader Sandipan Khan, who sought to confirm the ban’s legal basis.
Government Fails to Produce Ban Order, Court Presumes It Doesn’t Exist
The court noted that neither the customs department nor any other official agency could produce a copy of the 1988 order, concluding that “no such notification exists.” Khan had filed the case after being unable to find official evidence of the ban, despite being told in bookstores that the novel could neither be sold nor imported.
Book’s Controversial History: Protests and Global Ban
Published in 1988, The Satanic Verses quickly became a source of controversy, as some Muslims considered certain passages blasphemous. The book sparked violent protests globally, including in India, which has a large Muslim population. Amid these tensions, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ordered the import ban, likely as a measure to gain support before upcoming elections.
Iran’s Fatwa and Rushdie’s Life in Hiding
The backlash against the novel intensified in 1989 when Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa urging Muslims to kill Rushdie and the book’s publishers. Rushdie went into hiding for years following the threat, emerging gradually in the 1990s as an advocate for free speech.
Multiple Attacks and a Recent Stabbing
Since the fatwa, Rushdie’s associates have faced violence, including the murder of his Japanese translator and attacks on his Italian and Norwegian publishers. In August 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York, leaving him with lasting injuries.
A Victory for Free Speech Advocates
The Delhi High Court’s decision marks a symbolic win for free speech advocates in India, ending the decades-old prohibition against the novel’s importation without any official documentation to justify it.