The Satanic Verses Unbanned

It was a book that led to a bounty on the author’s life by a theocracy that had not read it. It was a book banned in India by people who had not read it, and even if they did, wouldn’t have made any difference to that decision. And it is still a book reviled by hundreds of millions who have no idea what it contains. It took 36 years for the ‘unbanning’ of The Satanic Verses and some theatre of the absurd for it to happen. The order by a two bench judge came in early November. This week a bookseller in Delhi put up copies for sale and struck one little note of victory for a writer’s imagination in a world that lives in a state of confusion over this value.

The Satanic Verses ban in 1986 was by way of prohibiting import of the copies through a Customs notification. It could be published domestically but no one would do that considering the riots and protests that had happened at the time. In 2019, a petition was filed in court over the import restriction but when the government was asked to present the notification, it professed inability to find it. The Delhi High court order stated: ‘Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has been compelled to approach this Court as he was unable to import the book “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie on account of it being banned by the respondent no.3 vide Custom Notification No. 405/12/88-CUSIII dated 05.10.1988. However, the said notification is neither available on any of the respondent’s website or is available with any of the respondents. In fact, the respondents have also been unable to produce/ file it before this Court.’ The court added that it had no other option but ’to presume that no such notification exists’ and so the petitioner was free to import it.

That seems to suggest that despite the precise date and the order number, no ban ever existed in India at all. Except that it did because no Indian could get his hands on a copy legally in the country for close to four decades. Other had avenues up though. The internet happened and one could, with a little effort, either buy an online copy or download a pirated one, from foreign shores to read it. But a ban is not just about preventing access but to show the limits of free speech, about territories where it is not allowed to enter.

After the Delhi high court order, Bahrisons put up copies of The Satanic Verses on its shelves and also posted on X: ‘Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses is now in stock at Bahrisons Booksellers! This groundbreaking & provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes. It has also been at the center of intense global controversy since its release, sparking debates on free expression, faith, & art. Whether you’re discovering it for the first time or revisiting its pages, this literary triumph is one that challenges and inspires.’ Already, some organisations are threatening to protest and are asking for a resumption of the ban, which will be a little tricky given that legally it didn’t exist in the first place. Other booksellers are meanwhile yet to begin importing and selling the book. Maybe they will once they see safety in it. And then maybe it will be published domestically. But one bookshelf is enough to make a statement for now.

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