Authors under Siege

I chanced upon an interview with renowned author Salman Rushdie in the Indian Express. Mr. Rushdie was here at the Tata Literary Festival to talk about his new book, The Victory City.

?While I have not read his Satanic Verses (for which a Fatwa was issued on him), I have read his book Midnight’s Children which won the Booker Prize in 1981.

?In 1984 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi brought an action against the book in the British courts, claiming to have been defamed by a single sentence in the penultimate paragraph of chapter 28, in which her son Sanjay Gandhi was said to have had a hold over his mother by his accusing her of contributing to his father Feroze Gandhi's death through her neglect. The case was settled out of court when Salman Rushdie agreed to remove the offending sentence.

Midnight's Children has been called "a watershed in the post-independence development of the Indian English novel", to the extent that the decade after its 1981 publication has been called "post-Rushdie". During that decade, many novels inspired by Midnight's Children were written by both established and young Indian writers.

Not the first time

Here are some notable authors who were persecuted for their writings:

Ahmed Naji, Egypt: Ahmed Naji's novel "Using Life" was initially approved by the Egyptian censorship board. However, its unfiltered portrayal of sex, drugs, and loose living, set against the backdrop of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, led to his imprisonment.

Galal El-Behairy, Egypt: Galal El-Behairy, a poet and songwriter, was known for his voice for the people. He was imprisoned for his work.

Liu Xiaobo, China: Liu Xiaobo was a renowned Chinese literary critic, writer, and human rights activist who called for political reforms in China.

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, Mexico: Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, a renowned Mexican investigative journalist and activist, faced harassment, attacks, and death threats for years. She was also illegally detained in 2005 after the release of a book looking into child prostitution networks.

Shakthika Sathkumara, Sri Lanka: an award-winning Sri Lankan writer, was accused of inciting religious hatred for a short story he posted on Facebook that had indirect references to child abuse in a Buddhist temple.

Stella Nyanzi, Uganda: Stella Nyanzi, an academic, writer, and activist, was imprisoned for a poem she published on Facebook that criticized the country's president.

These authors bravely used their pens to fight and were persecuted for their work. Their stories highlight the importance of literary freedom and the ongoing struggle for freedom of expression worldwide.

What Next?

We all may not have as fiery pens or resolves of such authors. But if we do become authors, we must write the truth as we have experienced it. Truth is a reality in our lives, it can nether be sweetened nor soured. It’s just the way it is.

You can read the recent interview with Salman Rushdie here.

“We live in a moment where truth has become problematic”: Salman Rushdie | Books and Literature News - The Indian Express

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