Such a long journey author

The author of 'Such a Long Journey' is Rohinton Mistry, an Indian-Canadian writer known for his insightful and emotionally resonant storytelling. Some of the major themes in 'Such a Long Journey' include political unrest, friendship, loyalty, family relationships, and the impact of historical events on individuals. While 'Such a Long Journey' is a work of fiction, it is set against the backdrop of real historical events, providing a vivid portrayal of life in Bombay during a period of significant political and social change.

At one demonstration, copies of the book were burned and protestors said that if the author was present, he would be burned as well. The focus of the outrage centred on the fact that a character in the book criticises a real-life political figure and the movement that figure was a part of as you can tell from the quote from the book I included above.

Relatives of the figure took offense and followers called for the book to be removed from the syllabus at Mumbai University and to be banned outright.

Such a long journey author: Publication place.

Some protestors admitted to not having read the novel, only being shown the excerpts that incensed them and arguing that those excerpts were sufficient for their conclusions. To book was quickly removed from the syllabus, much to the concern of the academic faculty that the university would bypass the established due process for dealing with such matters and submit to the demands of a violent, intolerant, minority.

I do not want to encourage a debate on freedom of speech, the right to offend, here. Plenty has been said already, especially in the wake of Charlie Hebdo. Suffice to say that my position is that the submission of Mumbai University was cowardly, the demands of the protestors is indefensible and the point of contention within the book is trivial.

That is because perhaps nothing can better inform a position on free speech than reading a banned book and asking yourself why it was banned.

Such a long journey author: Publication date.

What ideas does it contain that are so heinous to warrant outright exclusion? What offence has been committed and to whom? What motives are behind those who would demand a book to be banned? And what right or authority does anyone have to dictate what may or may not be said, read or thought? These questions do not come into play here. It is difficult to reconcile the perceptions of the offended with the material in the novel.

Such a long journey author: Rohinton Mistry.

The outrage can only be interpreted as the political agenda of a group that is violently intolerant of criticism. Rohinton Mistry did make a statement on the banning of his book you can hear it being read here. It is worth hearing. His statement is as firm as it is elegant. Getting back to the book and that point of contention, the interpretation of Such a Long Journey as a political novel is inescapable.

The political figure that drew the ire of the mob is one of several figures and movements that characters in the book wish to speak frankly of to each other. In fact, it can be argued that the opponents of the figure in question attract a lot more criticism in the novel than the figure himself! Rohinton Mistry. It was made into an… Read More.

More books by Rohinton Mistry. Tales from Firozsha Baag Rohinton Mistry. Family Matters Rohinton Mistry. A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry. Also Recommended. The Music of Chance Paul Auster. Remembering Light and Stone Deirdre Madden. Kitchen Banana Yoshimoto. Related Journal Articles. The Hindu. Chennai, India. October 12, Archived from the original on October 15, Retrieved October 21, In Nelson, Emmanuel Sampath Ed.

Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN The Times of India. October 14, Archived from the original on November 3, October 13, October 31, Retrieved October 31, The Times Of India. October 20,