Salman Rushdie shadow on Jaipur Literature Festival: 4 authors who read from 'The Satanic Verses' sent packing

The Times of India

JAIPUR: Salman Rushdie's shadow over the Jaipur literature festival grew longer on Sunday with four participating authors who had read out excerpts from Rushdie's banned novel, The Satanic Verses, being "advised" by the organizers to leave the city.
The four authors - Ruchir Joshi, Jeet Thayil, Hari Kunzru and Amitava Kumar - left the city abruptly on Saturday and Sunday.

JLF producer Sanjoy Roy, while denying that he had asked the authors to leave, said the Jaipur police had sought the tapes of the session in which the four had read out the banned book. Roy said the organizers had met the authors on Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday to "apprise them of the issues".

The Jaipur police, meanwhile, said they had not given any advice suggesting that any of the above authors should leave the festival. "There was a possibility of our arrest... so the organizers advised us to leave the festival," Jeet Thayil told TOI while preparing to leave.

Jeet Thayil said he was not protesting against their decision as it was their festival. "They (organizers) are intelligent people and probably they took a right decision," Jeet said.
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