Censorship Challenge – Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry

Calls for censorship are seemingly fewer and fewer in this day and age. Perhaps that is why when challenges do occur, I am so surprised by them.

The latest incident to shock me is the decision by the University of Mumbai to ban Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long Journey.

Media reports indicate that the youth wing of the Shiv Sena Party demanded that the twenty year old Canadian novel be pulled from the undergraduate curriculum. Apparently they are offended by foul and derogatory remarks towards the Shiv Sena Party.

While it is quite surprising to see a censorship challenge against such an acclaimed novel, one which won the 1992 Commonwealth Writers Prize, the 1991 Governor’s Generals Award and was short listed for the Booker Award. Perhaps what is most shocking about this incident is that the University of Mumbai agreed to pull the book.

I can at least take solace in the fact the most of the media reports indicate that the rest of the world seems as shocked and offended as I am.