|
My final thoughts on Arundhati Roy…
| Thursday, October 28, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
In my column published in DNA yesterday, I thought I'd said all I wanted to say about the controversy surrounding Arundhati Roy's recent pronouncements on Kashmir. I don't have the luxury of being called upon to write 20,000-word essays to flesh out my thoughts, but in most cases the 570 words I'm given on the Opinions page are more than adequate. But, as it turned out, this time I was called upon to say something more. Late last evening, the BBC World Service's World Have Your Say producers called to say they'd come across my column, and asked if I would join a panel discussion on this topic, along with Outlook magazine's editor Vinod Mehta and a few others. The broadcast from London was to go live at an ungodly 1 am for me in Hong Kong, but I gamely sat up. And although the format of the moderated discussion didn't always allow for freewheeling interaction, I made the following points:
Article continues below the advertisement...
I'm not calling for Arundhati Roy to be arrested or tried for sedition. I also vehemently oppose the online outpourings of extreme right-wing lynch mobs. Nor do I defend the role of the Indian State in Kashmir. However, Roy's delineation of the situation in Kashmir is overly simplistic, intellectually dishonest and wholly lacking in nuance or balance; in her reductionist worldview, the Indian State is Downright Evil; poor Kashmiri civilians are tortured without reason. But Kashmir's contemporary history is more complex than that. There are other geopolitical forces - including Pakistan-backed jihadi elements whose larger aim is the disintegration of secular India - that she does not acknowledge. That incomplete narrative amounts to a denial of history on her part. And in a volatile situation of the sort that exists in Kashmir, her selective outlining of history has enormous, dangerous real-life consequences. Vinod Mehta defended Roy's right to free speech and noted that she was "entirely within her rights to say what she is saying" given India's "vibrant and robust" democracy. And in response to my question, he said that Roy's words reflected the "dominant view in the valley"; it wasn't she who coined the phrase azaadi, which in any case should be interpreted as "freedom from human rights excesses", not as a desire to secede from India. The format of the discussion - with call-ins from listeners, and moderated by the producers - did not permit more intense interactions among the panelists. Which left me with a couple of points that I would have liked to make but couldn't. The presence of Indian troops in Kashmir has come in for a lot of criticism, and of course human rights abuses - of which Kashmiri civilians bear the brunt - are never to be condoned. But as this blogger points out, for four decades from 1948, until jihadi violence started in 1988-89, you didn't hear azaadi war cries in Kashmir, nor was the State under "brutal military occupation". (Remember Shammi Kapoor shimmying in Kashmir? Remember seeing any "occupation army" in the background?) To fail to acknowledge that connection is downright disingenuous. What do Kashmir people want for themselves? The answer would have been different at different points in time. Today, after more than 15 years of jihadi indoctrination and inept handling of the situation by successive Central and State governments, they may want azaadi, but if their jihadi fever were to subside, who knows that they might not reject that notion. Let's not forget: India faced a Khalistan separatist campaign in Punjab in the early 1980s. Today, who in Punjab wants to break free of India? And while we're on the subject, (and without trivialising the anguish of Kashmiri civilians), the characterisation of azaadi as merely "freedom from human rights abuses" and not secession is overly benign. One last point: some commentators - including phone-in callers during the BBC panel discussion - have resorted to attacking Arundhati Roy personally and attributing motives to her extremely critical public positions on issues that go to the core of India's identity as a nation-state. But that's not where I come from: in fact, as I said on air: "I'm not so cussed as to say that Ms Roy has it all wrong. She does an important job of holding up a mirror to Indian civil society and forcing us to focus on our failings. That's an important function. In 1998, when she declared herself an 'independent mobile republic', I met her at a public talk and I asked for citizenship in her 'republic'. So she's greatly admired, even by some of us who critique her work." My criticism of her only springs from the fact that as someone who knows the power of words, and who uses them inventively, there's a case for her to offer a more intellectually honest and balanced historical narrative on Kashmir than she's offered so far. Failing which, I just might be tempted to secure azaadi from the independent, mobile republic of Arundhati Roy... -- Follow me on Twitter
|
|
Copyright permission mandatory to republish this article. For reprint rights click here
By sahani's MacBook Nov 15, 2010 When A Roy says anything it's free speech. When Mr Sudarshan speaks about sonia or congress it's hate speech. Looks like we have double standards and we are not living in India ram rajya but Ravan raj where anyone opposing Ravan gets expelled or killed.
every citizen of india has the right to air his/her opinion on subjects that are close to every indian. but then we should also know where to draw the line. in the name of democracy arundhati roy has crossed the invisible line and hurt sentiments for which she should be punished. forget all these words of wisdom that are now being communicated via the media. final word is roy and the likes should be held for sedition.
By RC Rajamani Nov 11, 2010 holding up a mirror to indian civil society is fine, but it should be intellectually honest as you put it. selective holding of mirrors is dangerous and would sow the seeds of anarchy. I call Arundhati 'a functioning anarchist'.
Mrs.Roy should thank whichever Gods she believes in that she was born in India. If she were born in Pakistan, she would be one of the 72 virgins jihadis would be entertained with, with a good whipping on her bottom by Taliban from time to time.
By Sridhar Kalyan Nov 10, 2010 Folks, let's allow Kashmir (note: only Kashmir, and not Jammu) to go free. On one condition. They have to take along A Roy, N Ram, V Mehta, and a few others of their ilk. This proposal has a double advantage... just think.
says:
@Sridhar Kalyan :-)
To all the others who have posted comments here: thanks for dropping by and taking the debate forward. And although I don't agree with some of the sentiments here, I've enjoyed hearing from you. I'm overwhelmed by the range of your responses, but it's humanly impossible for me to respond to each of your comments.
By Brat Iyengar Nov 10, 2010 Freedom of speech is sacred and Arundhati Roy exercised it. It should be appreciated.
Kashmir with its special status was never never a part of rest of India and that is the truth.
By Aneek Gupta Nov 10, 2010 Your quote: "I'm not calling for Arundhati Roy to be arrested or tried for sedition. I also vehemently oppose the online outpourings of extreme right-wing lynch mobs. Nor do I defend the role of the Indian State in Kashmir."
My take:- What is your stand? Your deliberation is conspicuously defensive and in nature.
Happy Writing.
Regards
Aneek Gupta
What amazes me about most people including Ms Roy is that they weren't even born when Kashmir was infiltrated by Pakistani troops. People have rights and opinions in a democracy but to use that as a doctrine to brainwash young minds is the work of a fundamentalist. To me Ms Roy is best described as Elsworth Toohey from Fountainhead.
First I wish to simplify the phenomenon by idealistic or realistic point of view reflected by A. Roy. She has all the rights to express her opinion, so does everyone! I indeed am thankful to her unbiased and bold views on so many issues, not only Kashmir.
Second, equally, I feel for India even though what it has done to Tamils in Sri Lanka pre-1990s is what Kashmiris are going through now. It does not mean India has to hurt and suffer from Pakistan or China, but India must be helped for its ideals as a secular and tolerant society.
It is not Arundhati Roy's problem India has been going through but it's India's problems reflected by her honest views.
India's spirit is based on Arthashastra not just Chanakya. India's politics is not based on Sun Tzu, Sakuni or Machiavelli but on Dharma! Truth.
By Anil Maurya Nov 9, 2010 Both Arundhati and Vinod Mehta are very biased personalities. They live in Bharat and support separation of Kashmir which is an integral part of Bharat. There are two main dangerous risks in allowing those insane support for Kashmiris because we will be very much vulnerable to border attacks by enemies and Delhi would be so near for target.
Secondly, land of Kashmir belongs to Bharat. It is different matter if their Azadi propaganda is to grab our land.
All Kashmiris who have this separation view must go back to Pakistan and all Pandits should be rehabilitated in Kashmir.
Bharat allows secularism but it should be under umbrella of Hindu Bharat land.
would arundhati say the same thing about taiwan? that's where she and people like her are dishonest. she is merely toeing the commie line and is nothing but a trojan horse. let's not give too much importance to her statements.
Venkatesh — I detect a certain ambiguity on your part as to what you want roy to do or say. She cannot please you or left wing moderates by giving politically correct statements or intellectually driven solutions. Her role as an independent mobile republic does not behoove her to find solutions but can be reflective of her views as an external observer.
Do you really believe that you will stand behind her if she espouses an autonomous Kashmir state with the sovereignty ties still intact or would you like her to provide a silver bullet to wipe out the years of turmoil for the common man of kashmir?
While I am concerned with the emotional quotient in her statement, we need to understand her motives and her intent before branding her a brigand.
Arundhati Roy did something no Indian has ever done before. She stood against her own government's imperialist ambitions and the Hindutva fascism. Lately she stood steadfast to protest against the Indian genocide, rapes of women in Kashmir. The number of killing in that province alone now crossed over hundred thousand. Mrs. Roy also fights against environmental disasters caused by the Indian dams over international rivers leading up to destruction in the South Asian regions. I would very much like Mrs. Roy to say something about the impact of Indian dams drying up Bangladesh and the Indian border killings by the xenophobic Indian BSF.
Lately she came under threat of arrest, and threat from the Indian ultra nationalists and if government doesn't give her protection she might eventually even be killed by extremists. She has been protesting against Indian government's use of excessive force, rape on the minorities in Kashmir and in the North East. She put her life on the line. She continues her fight against the plight of the suffering humanity. Arundhati Roy deserves to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
By Siddhartha Tripathy Nov 8, 2010 Arundhati Roy speaks for her publicity. She should realize that she is able to openly express her views because of the freedom provided by the Indian state and she should do that with responsibility. The Kashmiris are talking about Aazadi today. The same Kashmiris wanted to be with India after we attained Independence. They should understand that India represents a confederation of States, J&K being one of them. They get the freedom of electing their representatives, their govt, right of expression, etc. Even the notion of aazadi is a much debated one unlike that of India seeking aazadi from Britishers where the case was justified enough.
Agree with you Chethan. The biggest threat India is facing is from China. In fact China is a threat to world peace. They are supplying nuclear weapons to countries such as Pakistan and North Korea. China is now trying to fish in the troubled waters of Kashmir. Only Ram's 'The Hindu' and the Indian communists are extolling the virtues of Chinese Dictatorship. When you read between the lines of 'The Hindu' you can find out their unflinching support of China. Regarding the Indian communists, China is their mother country.
Arundhati Roy is a christian, which is a fact that less people know. Maoists are funded by Christian missionaries to weaken India. There are people like Arundhati Roy, who think by speaking something controversial, they could gain publicity. And it is nothing more than that. Being in the news always makes her happy, which will also help in getting Z+ security.
Stop called her a "writer activist". These days terms like "social activist", "activist", "intellectual" have become so cheap. Along with "outlook" magazine, there is one daily newspaper which is working against the interests of India, i.e. "THE HINDU", owned by N.Ram, who is a communist, Christian communalist, anti-India, pro-Chinese. I feel like giving a hard punch on their face, mainly on the face of Vinod Mehta, who is pro-terror, anti-India and a traitor.
There are 2 women who should be avoided. One is Medha Patkar who has single-handedly stopped Narmada Project for a decade. She now does not talk about it after seeing the huge benefit people of Gujarat are having from this dam. Second, Arundhati Roy who talks whatever comes to her mind, not analyzing the pros and cons of the topic. In her view we have to take it as a gospel. What is her opinion about KASHMIRI pundits?
"Remember Shammi Kapoor shimmying in Kashmir? Remember seeing any "occupation army" in the background?"
Are you kidding me? No, really, Mr. Vembu? Bollywood is your barometer to what's happening/has happened in India? India has no poverty either, then, because I didn't see any in the latest Hindi movie I watched. And I'm sure somewhere in India, there are badly dressed fat guys dancing atop imported cars in the middle of the road. Because that's in the movies all the time!
And you are the guy lamenting a lack of 'balanced narrative' from someone else?! LMAO
Crazy to comment on Tibet, which has been a separate country for centuries. Re 1984, the Sikhs would have complained whether the Indian govt acted or did not act and they were unable to do anything on their own. If one Sikh had killed the President of any country, the backlash would have been far worse.
Innayatullah in a Pak paper describes the Pak version of India below. Some Paks seem unable to question what their military/govt leaders teach them. There is little connection to what actually happened. Alas, we could have worked together to achieve so much. When you read Pak comments, remember they come from this version!
---
Can we afford to be friendly with a neighbour, which is bent upon demonising, defaming and downgrading our country?
It buys arms — state-of-the-art military weapons from all over the world — but raises a hue and cry if Pakistan makes a bid for the purchase of air force planes or old frigates or a used submarine. At the same time, it strikes an unprecedented deal with the US on the supply of nuclear reactors and also assured supplies of related material, which involves the violation of US laws and NPT provisions, but cannot tolerate Pakistan getting two small nuclear reactors from China. It grabs Siachen and refuses to settle the dispute about it. It pledges to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir to ascertain the wishes of its people, but reneges on it on flimsy excuses. It invades a part of Pakistan and breaks the country into two, holds tens of thousands of Pakistani soldiers and civilians prisoner in Indian jails. It builds dams on the rivers flowing into Pakistan violating the Indus Waters Treaty, while Pakistan had to resort to arbitration to get the design of the dam rectified.
But why am I highlighting the Indian anti-Pakistan doings? The reason for recalling India’s unfriendly acts is because of the news that the first stop of the American President’s visit to India will be Mumbai. Not only is he being put up in the Taj hotel, but he will also be attending a ceremony to project to the world that the 26/11 attack on Mumbai was by the terrorists having links with Pakistan. India, thus, would be reinforcing the impression that Pakistan is a country which keeps sponsoring terrorism, as there is one fear that the world cannot take lightly, and that is the threat of terrorism. There are also reports that India will deepen its plans to involve the US in developing a joint mechanism to counter terrorism and may enter into an agreement during Obama’s visit — something which may have adverse repercussions for Pakistan.
javed akbar. "Listen, all those sitting in India, Kashmir has never been part of India and it never will be". For your information, Kashmir was and will always remain part of India, doesn't matter how much you may dislike it. I suggest you read early Indian history, before the Muslims ever came invading into India [Bharat].
"This part has been occupied by India by brutal force.." In 1948 Dogra King [maharajah] was the ruler of Kashmir who preferred to remain independent and sought to avoid the stress placed on him by either India or newly created Pakistan. Soon after Independence Pakistani tribals [Kabailis] from north Waziristan entered Kashmir seeking rule over Kashmir through aggression. The maharajah was not able to put up a fight against the invasion. He decided to accede Kashmir to India. Indian troops then marched into Kashmir, and thus we have LOC. It was stupid Nehru who let the LOC stay. India should have pushed the Pakis back into Pakistan, we would NOT have had this problem today. It was NOT you Pakis who helped drive the Russians out of Afghanistan but American weapons and know-how which drove Russians out.
"but the destiny of Kashmir is liberation from Indian dogs." It takes a DOG to recognise another dog. AR must be brought to book and if found guilty then sent to prison. Do you read Quran? Read Sura 9:111. 5:51, 2:193
What is this porki called Javaid Akbar doing on an Indian site? India made a mistake by not taking over POK when it thrashed Porkistan twice or thrice. Porkis should do what they are famous for. Go inside their dug-hole madrassas, learn how to make human bombs, and then in heaven 72 virgins await them. Perennial beggars with begging bowls who can't survive without America's dollars talking big.
@Mr. Amos Kiviet and Mr. Bukhari, could you tell me about a country which can have a PM from a minority and a President from another minority and a national head of a national party of foreign origin? And lots of muslims all around on all sorts of high posts. You could not put blame on India as an institution for the faults. Problems are with immature human infrastructure of this democratic structure. all muslims cannot rise to the top, but qualified cannot even be stopped from reaching their righteous goal. There are weak, poor Hindus in society, there are good people and bad people in all societies, all villages, all cities. You cannot characterise their situation due to some religion or state. And the problems of deceit from democratic rights are prevalent all over India, not only in Kashmir, and common people are equally responsible for that as are corrupt bureaucrats and politicians. But as the literacy level is increasing, the best chance for an ideal democracy could persist only in India (unless you are in some developed country). Everyone has to stand up against those inadequacies of democracy irrespective of religion or state. You cannot choose separation as a remedy. Would you choose Pakistan or China for your said goals? Aren't you insane? Or do you think that your so-called depraved state youth are so mature that they will deliver an ideal democratic setup in an Azaad Kashmir specially when people from gun culture would come into prominence? The problem lies there, and what about the rights of Kashmiri Hindus, what about silence on murdering of innocent Sikhs, what about the earlier partition event and the followup course of the resultant countries? With respect, i would like to remind you that india was once partitioned on religious basis only because it was not an independent nation and later it accepted that forced partition for the sake of peace. With an independent democratic Indian state partition on the basis of religion is never to be applied or accepted if tried to be forced. And propaganda of genocide, a genetic profiling by DNA tests could be good option to clarify and it would tell you that Kashmiri DNA pool is more similar to ancient Aryan culture than to Abrahamic DNA pool.
While none can question the right of expression in an enlightened democracy, it is equally important and incumbent on the part of thinkers, writers, intellectuals or artists to use their freedom of speech in a calibrated manner such that it does not hurt the sentiments of people at large or go against national interests. The leaders in Pakistan, over the years, have been making more or less identical statements to that of Ms. Roy regarding suppression of human rights or abuse of power by security forces in Kashmir. Are we to hail those statements too or condone them since freedom of speech is universal? Ms. Roy’s utterances are demoralising to our security forces who are performing a difficult task and making a lot of sacrifices in the process.
It has become fashionable for celebrities to voice extreme views in the name of freedom of speech to grab attention. This tendency will hurt the Nation in the long run.
totally agree with you... kashmir issues cropped up post 90s, and until then kashmiris were concerned about tourism and not terrorism or azadi. while india and pakistan fight, china is happily taking away chunks of kashmir as its own. ('The Hindu' and communists in India would be very happy with this :) )
keep kashmiris busy, and start different industries there. everyone would be happy. India and kashmiris feeling independent.
Arundhati Roy is a very good writer and opportunistic which is not a crime at all. Speaking out on any subject is also not a crime. But the point is that we should not speak against the constitution of India. You can alter the constitution through legislation in parliament, but not take a line from the constitution, twist it and deliver it. This is what she did unknowingly. We would remind her to follow the rules of the country. That's all.
I would like to break the bones of Vinod Mehta and then claim my innocence on the basis that I am an independent person so I can do this. These pseudo-secular goons would have hanged till death a long time back if they were in any Muslim country bashing that same country! In a nutshell, these nuts deserve at the least a loooooooooooong jail term for India bashing!
People like Ms. Arundhati Roy, Vinod Mehta, Abdul Rahman Antulay, Imam Bukhari are hard core secular Taliban — i.e. other extreme of Taliban of Afghanistan! Ms. Roy should have been in jail by now with special treatment, i.e. cell full of cockroaches and bugs! But, she survived this 'Gaddari' 'cause she is in India, the same old good India she never stops defaming! Had she made this nonsense statement in ANY other country she would have been beheaded... specially if it were to be in ANY Muslim country, the same Muslim countries/Jehadis for whom she has become a mouthpiece! Freedom of expression is bull. Whoever does not respect and accept the sovereign right of the state of India on entire Kashmir, including Pak-occupied Kashmir, must be sent to jail or deported to the country of his/her affection! She should immediately pack her bags and migrate to Pak-occupied Kashmir or to Pakistan! These kind of gaddars are always welcomed by Porkistan across the western border! It has become a fashion among these knuckle-headed secular clowns to defame the state of India, Indian society, and anything remotely related to India! It is high time that they start paying the FULL Price of each of their monkey business! Ms. Roy has been indulging in this kind of monkey business since a long time!
By Krishna Rao Nov 6, 2010 Excellent attempt! Now nobody is ready to put his/her mouth into the mouth of Arundhati Roy! She has to know, though she feels she is in her own "Independent Mobile Republic", she should not indulge in activities which hurt the interest of India, where she has been allowed to utter many nonsenses in the name of "Writer's Freedom".
By Karanth K V Nov 5, 2010 Yes, we are unnecessarily raising the TRP (Man Booker sponsored writer) value of Mrs Roy. It appears to me that she was poked to utter like that in order to identify that GROUP... let us hate her and her wisdom in the Indian context.
> It is India's wealthy elite that is turning its back on the nation and its people, not Arundhati Roy
It's not just India's wealthy elite, but, sadly, the so-called intellectuals who have also turned their backs on the people. And that includes Arundhati Roy. She is in Kashmir to make controversial remarks only for her own publicity. It's about her alone — the mobile republic of Royistan, not Kashmiris.
RTI (Right to Information Act) activists have been threatened and murdered by the wealthy elite. Why hasn't Roy not written a single piece on such a serious issue? Syed Masood (India's Bernie Madoff) pulled off a huge investment scam worth thousands of crores of rupees. Every penny has been seized from Madoff (who is now in prison). Why is Syed Masood not yet convicted for defrauding hundreds of thousands of people of their life savings? Why haven't law enforcement officials followed the money trail to recover huge sums of money laundered overseas? Why was Syed Masood's wife and daughter let go to the US and there's no call for extradition of criminals? Why hasn't Roy written a single article on the largest ponzi scheme in the history of India? These are just two examples and there are dozens of such issues plaguing India — the 85% of India's population shut out from the economic miracle. Why has she not focused writing constructively on issues that matter?
> Roy's work with the anti-dam campaign in Gujarat, which after years of struggle was unable to prevent hundreds of thousands of tribal people being forced off their land.
Roy can't be headless enough to be anti-progress. Unfortunately, she has taken such a stance over and over again. China is not going to wait for any country as it ascends to superpower status. Building dams is not for anyone's personal pleasure. It creates jobs for thousands of people, provides water for irrigation, and the electricity powers millions of homes. An adequate solution would be just compensation for those who lost land in the process.
She's Prannoy Roy's cousin. That's her ladder to star power. Who is she with an IQ of a peanut to pass judgement on the state of Indian society? Folks, express yourself freely without kowtowing to an anti-nationalist nobody Roy.
By Amos Kiviet Nov 4, 2010 What is happening in Kashmir is "SILENT GENOCIDE". The statistics of what the Indians are doing in Kashmir tells it as it is:
Violence in Kashmir Update From Jan 1989 to Sep 30, 2010
Total Killings 93,471
Custodial Killings 6,975
Civilians Arrested 118,424
Structures Burnt/Destroyed 105,877
Women Widowed 22,742
Children Orphaned 107,382
Women gang-raped/Molested 9,962
What Arundhaty, the Kashmiris and others are asking for is JUSTICE. Has anyone been held responsible for the crimes against humanity?
VV is trying to salvage her image. Who cares for arundhati except a few pseudo-Congressmen. Vinod Mehta is trying to cash in on this controversy.
Kashmir is an integral part of India and belongs equally to Kashmiri Pandits and not just the so-called hyped separatist leadership and the media jokers.
Before sounding intellectual, media jokers should study the actual history of Bharat and not history written by Marxist and communist historians.
By Sahaya Rani Nov 4, 2010 I congratulate you for your well defined and humanistic stance on the issue. Ms. Roy should realise that a person of her calibre has freedom at the same time accountability and responsibility towards the nation.
By Ramachandra Nov 4, 2010 I agree with Venkatesan's point of view. I find Ms. Roy tends to go to an extreme like Indian politicians on their opposition. Balance is missing.
Very balanced and agree with it. It is hard not to get the impression that Ms. Roy is trying to use her by now half-a-celebrity status to stay in the news and extend her stay in the limelight, but she doesn't have anything substantial to say. However, that by itself is not a crime. People like her are the price India has to pay to be a democracy, but so be it. Let her speak...
By javaid akbar Nov 3, 2010 Listen, all those sitting in India, Kashmir has never been a part of India and it will never be. This part has been occupied by India by brutal force and I hope just like your mentor the former USSR ran away from Afghanistan the day is not far that you will leave Kashmir. The problem could have been solved in 1948 when Col Ehsan of the Pak Army invaded Kargil, Ladakh and captured area near Himachal Pradesh, when Hindu wickedness worked and Nehru promised to hold a plebiscite, but how shameless you Indians are. You have no shame. You keep saying that there was insurgency in Punjab and now no one wants freedom there, and Kashmir is our part. This is not Punjab. So shameless are you that you shave your women's heads. We can expect this from people like you. Most people in Pakistan have vowed to liberate Kashmir at any cost the way we helped Afghanistan free from the most brutal USSR. You are nothing, you cannot resist the freedom movement in Kashmir. ARR has spoken the truth that has hurt you as the truth is very difficult to face. Your propaganda films are no longer going to convince the world that there is cross-border terrorism in J&K. But you are very shameless people, you have no shame, but the destiny of Kashmir is liberation from Indian dogs.
I agree with Vembu. Dishonesty and selfish predilection for publicity in the garb of pseudo intellectuality is Arundhati Roy. She can join the Maoists and like the dacoit queens roam around in a wayward life. She is a blemish on what is Indian. Our freedom and sovereignty are mocked by her words. I see no substance in Vinod Mehta's support. He wants 50% importance by contrarian views. He may try to bring out many facts, but subtly like an Indian coward he is also putting same-side goal for selfish thoughts.
This is the most relevant and objective piece on Ms. Roy. The lady is indeed very feisty and grates on many Indians. But she is entitled to her views, extreme as they are. Like a whale, she needs to spout every now and then. Let her do so and take in what you like and dump the rest.
By Ashoka Kumar Jha Nov 3, 2010 Not only Arundhati Roy but a whole lot of fundamentalist progressive secular lot, who used to declare the pluralistic eternal Indian culture and religion as communal are the real culprits for the situation of JK. If JK is not legally the Indian state, then Pakistan itself has no legality, because it has been created on the same resolution of the British parliament on which JK has been declared a state of the Indian Union.
By Dr. Babu ABRAHAM Nov 3, 2010 Arundhati Roy is a writer and above all an artist. She is not speaking for or representing any specific cultural, social or revolting constituency of our country. She is a writer, full stop. We have to accept the fact that in spite of that we see that she may not be historically to the point and contradictory in her notions, particularly sharing the dais with some extremists to speak against so-called state extremism. But she is a writer and it is the role of a writer to push us to the extremes to think. then it is our choice to decide whether to accept what she says. After all, India is a nation diverse but with a unity in diversity as I learnt in the sixth standard when I studied in India. So, we have space for every kind of opinion. Let us calm down. And by making comments and calling her names we are not doing any service to our country. Extremism, whether it is Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, political or intellectual is something that should be outright rejected. India stands for tolerance. Let me ask, do we have the right to say that some Hindu extremist like 100 gang-raped a nun in Kandhamal authorises us to say that all Hindus are like that? Can we say that the riots in Gujarat were really perpetrated by Modi and RSS? Like that in 1984 it is not the Gandhi-Nehru family which butchered brutally the Sikhs in Delhi. Such elements are to be eradicated. Our army in J&K is not perfect. Life is not easy for them. But they have to keep in mind that Kashmir is India just like Kerala, TN, UP, Orissa or Nagaland and people have the right to freedom. Let us hope that this family dispute will subside and we will grow clearly and our nation will one day become really democratic without corrupt leaders and we will surely respect all our religions, tribals, opinions and after all Hindustan stands for it. Jai Hind.
Hail V Mehta, A Roy, N Ram... these idiots decide how the nation is run and disintegrated. It's in their interest to see that Indians are divided — for their funds are channelised by these Jihadis and religious bigots from the West. Their funds stop no sooner they present the facts. Keep the issue burning and get some more media space you s--- of small things and a--- mehta.
Madam Arundhati Roy is working for outsiders. She is non-patriotic and must be prosecuted. She has a habit to open her bad mouth against India for cheap publicity. We have many traitors like her e.g. Lalu, R.V. Paswan, Bukhari, A.R. Antulay, Mulayam. They all need to be punished.
The lady supports Maoists, separatists, and anything that is against national sovereignty out of fashion. Misleads the world at large and harms the image of our democracy. She says the govt. does not reach out to a large population, does excesses, people are backward. If she was given her say and India were to have the form of govt. she wishes, can she give a guarantee no corruption, 100% (or even 60%) equality to all in all respects? She should stop kidding! If people are so agitated and willing to pick up the gun, why can't they stand up for elections, or file PILs, or use RTI? Only democracy allows you all this, no alternate format in the past, present or future allows all of that!
By Karanth K V Nov 2, 2010 Dear Venkateshan,
Your article aptly describes the true wisdom of majority of educated intellectuals across this GREAT COUNTRY. It is only in India where anything could be uttered and media could publish it in the name of freedom of expression. I feel that Indian constitution gives authority for all to express freely and enhance their TRP ratings in the country. Even GOI and home ministry have taken a stand that outburst of Smt Arundhati Roy (Man Booker sponsored writer, I suppose) would be neglected and she would not be tried under existing sedition provisions. Had this happened in Muslim countries or our neighbour China or Myanmar, she would have had to undergo minimum of 10 years jail. I suppose a great writer like her must have lost her balance or she conspired with somebody to tell like that in order to please Muslim radicals in Kashmir. May GOD bless Smt Arundhati Roy wisdom to support affected citizens of J&K in particular & India in general.
I can't understand why there is such a hue and cry for Mrs Roy. Let her speak what she wants to, why are we even discussing it? Mrs Roy grants all her support to anyone who is against Indian Democracy, she has sympathy towards killers of hundreds of innocent people. Oh yes! she is free, she can do it. Venkatesan Vembu, you are a man to devote a million dollar blog to such a public irritant. Let's not talk about her. Delete all this stuff...
I believe any idea of a plebiscite should be taken into consideration only after all the affected parties are involved, which should include kashmiri pandits as well. Weren't they a part of the State of Kashmir? The Central & State Govts. might conveniently forget that, Arundhati Roy chooses to forget that, Geelani & his ilk will never agree to that. But they have been an important part of Kashmir, and an important identity factor for it.
Sadly, today the Center and Omar Abdullah would not all have them in the scheme of things for reasons best known to them. There are lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits living across the rest of India as refugees — having had to leave their homes (as part of the State govt. and pakistan-sponsored agenda).
Too bad the Islamic population of Kashmir has failed to understand the game. Pakistan & China would never allow a stable India to flourish and progress, hence they aid the Maoists, Kashmiri separatists, earlier Khalistan terrorists.
Same goes for the US — they can never let India become a major power in this region. How else can we explain them turning a blind eye to whatever wrongdoing Pakistan is accused of?
Then we have people like Arundhati Roy from our own — who would love to be in news everyday — even if it is for the wrong reasons. She opposed the Narmada dam construction in Gujarat; however Modi stuck to his guns and made the dam, and look at what that region has become today. The people of that area have jobs, water, growth all due to industries coming in after the Dam was built. So for her, I feel it is all about staying in the news.
I as an Indian just hope that we manage to keep our country in one piece — we have enough on our hands with the states fracturing every now and then!
By Rajeev Dubey Nov 2, 2010 Freedom of speech and human rights are close to the heart issues that an author carries along.
However, Arundhati does not seem to be doing that, she rather presents herself as a person out to create an identity that has forced labels of 'greatness'... — not as an author but as a leader. This makes one feel dejected.
Her position on Kashmir is untenable.
Sellouts like Roy should be exported to Pakistan, where they can be happy seeing how well the Muslims are treated. Overall, India has positive inflows of Muslim migrants and Kashmir and Pakistan has negative flows of Hindu migrants. That tells you the story of the plight of people. Roy's anecdotalism is the most common tool of telling convincing lies. People need to get smarter and start to look at the broader picture.
Arundhati Roy — who was she until she won a booker prize? — a seemingly unknown entity without a cultural identity. I have been following her statements and speeches and writings; I sum up that she is one with a flair for explosive writing.
This evening Chidambaram gave an explanation as to why GOI chose not to prosecute her by stating that GOI was acting in the spirit of the words and not the law of the words. He quoted that the spirit of the particular clause is that unless a person directly entices a population to rise to violence, no action is to be initiated. Was her statement not an encouragement to Jihad and Azadi which goes against the constitution of India? Chidam long ago lost his senses when he decided to rejoin the Congress after deserting it.
Well, no wonder if his government pleads for setting free Kasab as what he and his terrorist group did was not pre-planned killings but was doing justice to the minority community's conditions in the country ruled by Chidam.
As Vembu says, Arundhati should "offer more intellectually honest and balanced historical narrative" on anything that she states and advocates. Her crime is that she read only one side of the coin which has a head and declared it had no nominal value without seeing the other side. This is what happens to anyone who grows up without a cultural identity like AR.
Onlooker Vinod Mehta, he is an opportunist journalist and does not speak truth. He wants his weekly to be sold, no matter what he writes. He said AR was right in what she said because she is an independent person. Would he accept, in the same breath, if one slanders VM and accuses of him molesting his lady staff since whoever does so does it as an independent person?
Today's Kashmir problems originate from the cardinal mistake of having given the region a special status by the first Govt. of JN. Why Kashmiris are allowed to own property anywhere within the Union of India when other Indians are not allowed to buy an inch of land in J&K? Why when the rest of Indians bear the brunt of inflation, Kashmiris continue to get their ration at ridiculously low prices like Rs2 for a kg sugar or Rice or Atta for Re1 per kg?
|
|
|
Comments
Share this article
Print
Email
