Tyranny of power?

The Times of India literature festival is the highlight of Mumbai's cultural calendar in early December. This year, the festival is to be held between December 5 and 7. Its programme was released recently, and one choice caused something of a furore. That was the decision to ask the disgraced former editor of Tehelka magazine, Tarun Tejpal, to speak at a session entitled "The Tyranny of Power" (other speakers at the session were to include Mani Shankar Aiyar and Manu Joseph). Tejpal is out on bail from a Goa jail; he is accused of raping an employee - which made the subject of the session he was due to speak on look particularly odd. After much heat was generated online about the Times' doubtful choice, the festival's organiser, Bachi Karkaria, declared on Twitter that Tejpal's invitation had been withdrawn, because the "great programme" was being "hijacked by extraneous noise". Some thought the tone of the withdrawal further minimised the concerns that critics had been expressing.