Abstract: The present article examines “literary” controversies around ban or censorship in contemporary India. As we know “Literary” controversies around censorship or ban are not uncommon to any literary or linguistic community. Down the ages and across regions, there are innumerable controversies which have ultimately ended up in either banning or censoring a literary text in question. They arise without notice and raise not only furor in society but also cause “irresolvable” debates on the questions of language, morality, interpretation, history, freedom of expression, community and democracy. Though they are relatively of short duration in terms of repercussions and implications, they can shake the stability of society and pose a threat to writers’ lives as witnessed in the case of *The Satanic Verses* controversy (1988) or the *Lajja* controversy (1993). Though India has not remained innocent of literary controversies and there exist several commentaries and responses to specific literary controversies, there are very few attempts to study and understand systematically the problems and issues surrounding them. The present article tries to fill up this lacuna by examining some of the “literary” controversies in English and Kannada literature of the past and the contemporary period.

Key words: Censorship, ban, communalism, public recognition,interpretation

Bio-note: Dr. Vijayakumar M. Boratti teaches English in the University Evening College, University of Mysore. He has more than fifteen years of research experience. Right now he is working on colonial history of Kannadafolklore.