Home > 2025 > From Satan to Rushdie: Why Book Bans Always Fail | Santosh MathewWhen the Supreme Court of India recently dismissed a petition to ban Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses,it sent out a powerful message:book banning is a relic of the past. The case of The Satanic Verses epitomizes the futility of book banning. More importantly, book banning stifles growth. As India’s Supreme Court has now affirmed in Rushdie’s case, the age of banning books should be behind us. Banning books is not a sign of strength but of insecurity.It does not protect societies;it infantilizes them.