Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’ returns to India after 36-year ban

New Delhi: The controversial book "The Satanic Verses," written by British-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, has quietly made a comeback to India 36 years after the Rajiv Gandhi administration banned it.

For the past few days, a "limited stock" of the book—which sparked a backlash against its author and content that was considered blasphemous by Muslim groups worldwide—has been on sale at Bahrisons Booksellers in the nation's capital.

“It has been a few days since we got the book and the response has been very good so far. The sale has been good,” Bahrisons Booksellers’ owner Rajni Malhotra told PTI.

The book, priced at Rs 1,999, is only available at Bahrisons Booksellers stores across Delhi-NCR.

“@SalmanRushdie’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 centre of intense global controversy since its release, sparking debates on free expression, faith, & art,” the bookseller said in a post on X.

Manasi Subramaniam, editor-in-chief, of Penguin Random House India, also posted on the social media platform, quoting Rushdie.

“‘Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.’ At long last. @SalmanRushdie’s The Satanic Verses is allowed to be sold in India after a 36-year ban. Here it is at Bahrisons Bookstore in New Delhi,” she wrote.

In November, the Delhi High Court closed the proceedings on a petition challenging the Rajiv Gandhi government’s ban on the import of the novel, saying since authorities have failed to produce the relevant notification, it has to be “presumed that it does not exist”.

The order came after government authorities failed to submit the notification dated October 5, 1988, which banned the import of the book.

“In the light of the aforesaid circumstances, we have no other option except to presume that no such notification exists, and therefore, we cannot examine the validity thereof and dispose of the writ petition as infructuous,” the court said.

With PTI inputs