Life threat keeps Rushdie away from India

Jaipur, Jan 20 (IBNS) Booker Prize winning Indian-British author Salman Rushdie had to cancel his planned visit to a crucial literary festival in India on Friday after the authorities warned him of possible assassination bid by hired assassins.

The decision triggered protests by the intellectuals in India who had gathered at the literary carnival in the historic city of Jaipur to take part in what is now Asia´s biggest such festival.

They slammed the Indian authorities for failing to offer protection to the London-based writer who was in hiding for years earlier following the threats by the Islamic fundamentalists.

The scheduled visit of Rushdie became uncertain after an Indian Islamic seminary protested his invitation to the festival, though he had graced it in the past without a whimper of protest.

Rushdie had angered Islamic groups with his book The Satanic Verses published in 1988 that criticized Prophet Muhammad and was issued a death decree (fatwa) by late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini.

The book, considered blasphemous for its remarks against the Prophet, has since been banned in India, a secular country with the world´s third largest Muslim population.

In Indian politics, Muslims, who constitute about 14.6 percent of the total 1.2 billion people, are considered an important vote bank to win elections and form governments.

Indian political parties are also trying to woo the 18 percent Muslim voters quite blatantly in their poll campaigns for the election in Uttar Pradesh due next month.

On Friday, Rushdie ended all speculations by announcing through the organizers that he was skipping the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in the capital of the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, a magnet for tourists across the world.

"I have now been informed by intelligence sources in Maharashtra and Rajasthan that paid assassins from the Mumbai underworld may be on their way to Jaipur to eliminate me," Rushdie said in a statement read out by the producer of the festival.

"While I have some doubts as to the accuracy of this intelligence, it would be irresponsible of me to come to the festival in such circumstances," the statement said.

He later tweeted: "Very sad not to be at Jaipur. I was told Bombay [now Mumbai] mafia don issued weapons to 2 hitmen to ´eliminate´ me. Will do video link instead. Damn."

The proposed visit of Rushdie courted controversy when Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, which is based in a town in Uttar Pradesh state, urged the Indian government to cancel the visa.

Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani, the Vice Chancellor of Darul Uloom, said that the government should cancel Rushdie´s visa as he had hurt the ´religious sentiments´ of Muslims through his writings in the past.

But on the inaugural day, even in his absence, Salman Rushdie cast his shadow on the festival.

Two authors- British Indian novelist Hari Kunzu and Mr. Amitava Kumar- attempted to read out portions of Rushdie´s controversial book The Satanic Verses.

The two writers were, however, stopped by the organizers midway.

Kunzu later said the no show of Rushdie is a blow to democracy.

"About to defy bigots and shoe throwers, reading @SalmanRushdieSatanic Verses on stage with @amitavakumar at #jaipur #jlf," . Kunzu had tweeted before the act of protest by reading out from The Satanic Verses.

Indian playwright-writer-actor Girish Karnad said that for "a person like Rushdie to feel threatened in India is to be blamed on the government for its relegation of duty."

Rushdie later thanked his supporters in the festival.

"Much support and sympathy: thanks,everyone. Some say I let people down: sorry you feel that. Some Muslim hate tweets: pathetic. #Jaipur #JLF," Rushdie tweeted.

The ruling Congress party´s spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the attempt of the writers to read out from The Satanic Verses was an undue provocation with legal consequences since the book is banned for years in India and they never attempted to read out from it before.

"The book is banned and if somebody tries to do this, they may bear the consequences," he told television channels.