Salman Rushdie's contentious book "The Satanic Verses" was outlawed by the Rajiv Gandhi administration, and former Union minister K Natwar Singh vehemently defended the decision on Saturday, saying it was made "pure" for police and order reasons.
Mr. Singh, who was the minister of state for external affairs when the book was banned in 1988, said he was involved in the decision and had warned the then prime minister that the book could cause serious law and order problems because sentiments were running very high. This comes as attention has turned back to Mr. Rushdie's book in the wake of the attack on him in New York. The criticism that the Rajiv Gandhi administration's decision to impose the book's ban was motivated by a desire to satisfy Muslims was dismissed by Mr. Singh (91) as "rubbish."
Considering that the decision to outlaw the book had caused law and order issues, notably in Kashmir, I don't believe it was incorrect. There was unrest throughout India, according to Mr. Singh, who spoke to PTI.
"Rajiv Gandhi questioned what needed to be done. The former diplomat-turned-politician declared, "All my life, I have been completely opposed to book bans, but when it comes to law and order, even a book by a brilliant writer like Rushdie should be banned."
Mr. Singh claimed that although "The Satanic Verses" was banned, the decision to ban Mr. Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" was made solely for law and order considerations.
The publication of the book "The Satanic Verses" had caused a huge uproar because many Muslims considered it to be blasphemous.
Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran, called for the execution of Mr. Rushdie in a fatwa.
Mr. Singh vehemently defended the action taken by the Rajiv Gandhi administration, saying, "I absolutely think it was justified since it was going to generate significant law and order problems as passions were running extremely high, particularly among our Muslim minority." We have a sizable Muslim population, and I warned that the entire Muslim world would erupt. In addition, the book's content at this point is unacceptable, he said.
After publishing "The Satanic Verses," Mr. Rushdie received death threats for years. On Friday, as he was being presented at an event hosted by the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York, he was stabbed on stage.
Hadi Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, was the suspect, according to the New York State Police; the reason why the act was committed is still a mystery.
Prior to the speech, the suspect rushed the platform and attacked the 75-year-old. The author underwent surgery after being taken to a nearby hospital. Mr. Singh expressed his "extreme anguish" about the assault.
He remarked, "Here is a 75-year-old man who isn't hurting anyone and is making literary contributions, and then some scoundrel comes along and almost kills him, and that too while he was giving a speech in New York. Mr. Rushdie is still alive and receiving medical care.
According to Mr. Singh, Mr. Rushdie fled England because there were more Muslims there than there are in the United States.
"He is without a doubt among the greatest authors of the 20th century. I am therefore really upset. Although I didn't know him personally, I respected his work and had read Midnight's Children several times "He praised Mr. Rushdie for his contribution to the literary world in what he said.