"I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write" - Voltaire
'The Satanic Verses' came out in 1988 which means it's as old as I am. In the 23 and a half years since it was released (and subsequently banned in India) I have learnt to crawl, walk, talk, speak, eat, read, write, finished all of my school education, completed most of my college education, developed a taste in music & film, learnt to play a musical instrument, started to freelance, got my articles published, had crushes, gotten crushed on & got a semblance of right & wrong in life (okay, so maybe the last part is questionable) but unfortunately the issue that the powers that be of our country are still cribbing over is something that made waves TWENTY THREE years ago.
I haven't read the controversial book so I'm not the best judge to comment about its content but as an enthusiast of literature, I did pick up a Rushdie novel in my teens from a public library & after a few pages put it back as I didn't find it interesting enough. But let's say I had read The Satanic verses & had been offended by its content, what would be my reaction then? Would I want Rushdie beheaded? Exiled? Ostracized? Beaten to Pulp? Sent to jail? No. The best form of "protest" on my behalf would be to never read a Salman Rushdie book ever again.
Think I'm making a "radical" statement? Let me put it this way, I don't like the smell or taste of fish, but my mother, father & sister find it to be quite a delicacy & hence every now & then when my mother cooks fish I make it a point to avoid entering the kitchen & not instead break the crockery & set the kitchen on fire just because what's being cooked is not up to my taste.
The point I'm trying to drive at is that there's a whole generation that has grown up since the ban was imposed, and I proudly belong to that generation which by & large believes in the ideology of "Live & let live" contrary to the other dreary image that is portrayed of the fringe who believe what they say is "free speech" & the rest shall be terminated.
On the day the Rushdie issue erupted it was on the first page of most of the leading dailies whereas a much more pressing & grave issue like this was relegated to the second page.
This tweet by popular columnist & stand up comedian Rohan Joshi sums it up quite perfectly - " If they'd let Rushdie come, speak & leave, four people would have cared. And now look. How self defeating is your outrage?"
Come my 24th birthday & as always I shall get my cheeks pulled & hair ruffled whereas all the while I hear them say "My my! how much you've grown". Sigh! I wish I could say the same about the authoritative powers of our country.
