Talking Heads
By a happy coincidence, Sir Salman Rushdie happened to be visiting Delhi precisely when the Jaipur literary festival was in full flow. He appeared to have a packed diary too, promoting the cinematic version of Midnight’s Children. He was also able to push his pet theme of the growing cultural and intellectual intolerance in India because of which he has become something of a pariah in his own country. From the enormous publicity he received, one can assume he had a pleasant and productive trip. We did not hear of much protest as the nation lauded its controversial son. In fact, some mullahs struck a conciliatory note, offering to engage Rushdie in a debate on Islam. It was an offer he wisely refused given his past experience with the Muslim clergy. Nevertheless, it did suggest a change in mood: instead of asking for his head, the mullahs were...
