While reading Swapan Dasgupta’s take on the Rushdie affair, I stumbled on these lines (emphasis added):
Those who felt offended and let down by Rushdie?s absence from Jaipur were regarded as inconsequential members of the non-voting classes.
Their protests could safely be disregarded.
It struck me that this was also the reason why the government did the shameless “dance” on Lokpal Bill.. and capitulated in the case of Rushdie.
And then I came across this remarkable essay by Arun Shourie on Vote Banks (do read, if you have not already) in which he ......