More Comments "Of censorship and the books that nobody reads"

Dear Nibir

I was interested in your piece.  I’m afraid I never read Satanic Verses but heard Salman Rushdie quote a passage at The South Bank a number of years ago when a variety of writers whose work had been banned or suppressed appeared on stage.  I felt, at the time, that there was a touch of intellectual arrogance and though I was really interested in The Moor’s Last Sigh and have been urged to read Midnight’s Children by several people, I have had a few reservations about Rushdie.  I remember Attia Hosain whom I knew (do you know her work?) did not approve and also what is interesting is that had he not called it Satanic Verses, the publication history might have been different.  Freedom of speech is one thing but why not some diplomacy as well.

With best wishes,

Anita Money, London.

Dear Nibir,

Thanks for passing this on to me.  I enjoyed what you had to say and agree with you totally.  By the way, your article made me reflect on all the nonsense that’s been taking place at Delhi University with regard to A.K. Ramanujan’s old article on the various versions of the Ramayana.  There seems to be no end of craziness.

With warmest regards,

Mike (Prof Michael Shapiro, Seattle,USA.)