Return of The Satanic Verses: Time lag a reason for muted response?

How do you explain the lack of street protests and the silence of political groups as one of the most controversial books published in independent India?

Salman Rushdie's 1988 novel 'The Satanic Verses' returns to the country's bookshops after being banned for 36 years?

The Rajiv Gandhi government had banned the import of the book, which is based on the life of Islam's prophet Muhammad, immediately after it was published. An international fatwa and a bounty were placed on the head of the author by the Iranian government, forcing him to go into hiding.

The book, considered blasphemous by believers, still evokes extreme reactions. Rushdie, who had come out of hiding, was stabbed two years ago in New York, losing an eye in the attack.

The book's release in India had triggered riots. However, reaction to news about the book's reappearance on the bookshelves has been muted.