SALMAN RUSHDIE MUST LIVE LONG !

 It has been around 2 months since the famous author Sir Salman Rushdie was attacked onstage in New York State. He was rushed to hospital and put on a ventilator. His injuries were severe and there were doubts about his life and survival. On Saturday his literary agent Andrew Wylie gave an interview to the Spanish Newspaper El Pais and offered a bulletin of sorts on the author's conditions. Sadly, the information depressed the entire world of literature. Salman Rushdie has reportedly lost the sight of one eye and his one hand is incapacitated. The only positive thing is that he's going to live. His agent however didn't divulge any further details of his whereabouts. He also lamented the dangerous rise of nationalism and far right groups in Europe, America and Latin America.

Sir Salman Rushdie was at a literary gathering at Chautauqua Institution in New York participating in some summer lecture the institution is famed for organizing every year. A man named Hadi Matar(24) suddenly rushed onstage and stabbed the author multiple times on his neck, chest and torso. The injuries were deep. The nerves of his one arm were cut as his agent reported. Hadi Matar is in prison on the charges of second degree attempted murder and assault. In an interview with NewYork Post Hadi Matar told he was surprised to know that Mr. Rushdie survived. He also praised Iran and Khomeinei's fatwa. He also confessed he had read just a few pages of The Satanic Verses- the book that created an uproar in the Islamic World causing an edict against the author. Some Muslims view the book as blasphemous. 

Salman Rushdie had to go in hiding after the fatwa and he was given heavy state protection by the UK Government. As time passed and the religious leader Ayatollah Khomeinei died, the threat perception declined and Mr. Rushdie started to live a normal life and shifted to the USA. The Chautauqua Institution didn't have much security except one policeman. The attack was unexpected. Iranian government has denied any hand in this connection and said Mr. Rushdie himself was responsible for his condition. 

Sir Salman Rushdie has always been an ardent champion of free speech and maintained that one can have fearless disrespect for religion. He is all for complete freedom of speech and doesn't like 'ifs' and 'buts' in the expression of this important right without which all other rights are in shambles. 

The best way to issue a message to the world of fundamentalists and far right groups is to honour him by spreading his message. The Nobel Prize Committee must take a serious note of the author's tireless crusade against the evil power of the extremists around the world and confer the literature prize on him next year. That shall be a befitting reply to those who are hell bent on gagging people's voice.

(C). - MRITYUNJAY JHA