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"If any author, who has courted controversy by hurting the sentiments of the community, comes here to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival, we will oppose and they will have to face strong action," Mujahid Naqvi, a Muslim scholar, said today.
"One of the four authors, Jeet Thayil, who read a passage from `Satanic Verses' last year, is also scheduled to participate this year also and we oppose this. Other authors - Ruchir, Hari Kunzuru and Amitava Kumar - read from the banned book which tantamount to legal action," he said.
This was decided at the 'Azeemusshan Azmat-E-Namoos-E-Rasool' conference held here yesterday by Muslim groups of the state, and this is the feeling of the community, he said.
Another scholar, Sajid Sehrai, who organised the conference, said the organisers of the literature festival should ensure that no author or speaker, who has hurt sentiments of the community, attends the event.
The five-day literature festival will kick off from January 24.
Last year, the event had courted controversy over the scheduled visit of Rushdie, who had to cancel his visit following strong opposition from Muslim groups.
However, four authors read out passages from the banned book in their sessions following which complaints against them were filed in separate courts by Muslim activists and they had to leave the city to avoid any legal action during the event.
When contacted, Sanjay Roy, Producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “Everyone has right to express his feeling but we (the event) are not going to be hijacked.”
The Muslim Groups wherever in India should know that India is a democracy and not a theocratic state like Pakistan, where anyone is arrested for blasphemy and condemned to death. Every citizen in India has a right to express his opinion freely and participate in any event which is for a good social cause and cultural bonhomie. Right to freedom of religion does not mean to stop others from expressing one's opinion with a collective responsibility. Also, they cannot force anyone to say that so and so ca not attend or come to India. Like they have a right to protest peacefully every other person has a right to express and participate. If the authorities bow to such tactics and pressures to appease a particular community for vote-bank politics then it does not augur well for Indian democracy.
British journalist Yvonne Ridley was denied Visa by India. "The Indian Government is refusing to give me a conference visa to address 50,000 women in Hyderabad about women's rights ... I would have thought after the catastrophic handling of the Delhi rape case, politicians would be more sensitive, but it seems not. We women continue to be sidelined and treated as second class citizens," she said in her post on Facebook.
