‘Fairy princess’ to ‘instinctive critic’

If you ignore her legion of detractors and her yearn for criticism, Indian author Arundhati Roy can be an interesting, even affable person. Seldom does her reputation fail to precede her before she walks into a room. But she says the reputation of being an instinctive critic has been crafted for her by what she calls a “corporate controlled press” The author was present at the Sharjah International Book Fair and spoke to a crowded hall of book lovers on Friday.

Though she says that she finds it hard to understand the term ‘‘human rights activist’’, Roy is known across the globe to be one of India’s most controversial writers, environmentalist and human rights campaigners.

Before turning to activism and being a staunch critic of India’s political structure, the now 50-year-old author won the Man Booker prize for her first and only fictional title The God of Small Things in 1997. Overnight, her novel became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author and catapulted her to a status of what she calls being “India’s fairy princess”. The novel is a tragic love story, which revolves around topics like politics, class relations, cultural tensions and social discrimination, which are issues still prevalent in India.

Fifteen years later, when Roy is asked if she would change anything about the book, her response is: “When I read it now, I do not have that urge to re-write or correct it. That isn’t because it’s a perfect book but it’s because I am not that kind of a person who wants to keep fiddling with something that I’ve already done.”

“But what I find myself constantly surprised by is the fact that the book which was written all those years ago deals with certain aspects of Indian life and society and these are things which continue to haunt me and enrage me. Here I am speaking of issues like caste system, poverty, the growing communist movement in India, the extreme left, and the naxalite movement.”

However, Roy believes that not much has changed with the political state of the country that was reflected in the book 15 years ago.

I have spent the last 15 years writing overtly political essays, but those concerned have not been able to deal with what is going on with the Dalit movement in India. Caste, ethnicity and religion continue to be the engine that drives Indian politics. These are things that continue to be uppermost on my mind,” said Roy.

Since her first book, Roy has gone on to write essays on several important issues that shaped India’s political, environmental and social history.

She is a strong critic of India’s nuclear policies, the Narmada dam project, the 2002 violence in Gujarat, and more recently she voiced her opinion against anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare.

Speaking about as to why she never forayed into writing fiction again, she said: “It took me four and half years to finish the God of Small Things and I’ve never been a particularly ambitious person.” After the release of the book in 1997, she said that she had become part of the ‘Miss Universe parade’.

“But I had the space to raise a dissenting voice and if I had kept quiet, I would not be able to write with any degree of honesty again. So, I stepped off the pedestal and overnight turned from being a Fairy Princess into a seditionist. How is it possible that Indian liberal intellectuals cannot stand up and take a moral position?”

Roy believes that she is far from being a hated figure that the media would like to portray her as. “I feel embraced, I feel loved and I feel I can go almost anywhere and say ‘can you give me lunch?”

However, Roy remained stubbornly tight-lipped about her next work of fiction saying only that she “hope(d) to finish a second book”.

Roy blames her instinctive writing tendencies in her DNA and said that she does not consider herself to be a “great, courageous person”.

“I cannot be preening and accepting accolades about my courage. I am doing what I do and I enjoy what I do, I don’t have a choice. I am a person of instinct. But when everything around is sizzling, bubbling and boiling and I feel like there is no space in my body for my organs anymore. I feel that it is harder to keep quiet than not to write.”

Roy said that through her non-fictional writing, she felt like she was a part of the people of her country. “Fiction is a lonely affair. But when I write non-fiction, I feel like I am a part of the people of my country, but not in a nationalistic way. I am not a nationalist in that sense.”

But yet, when she was asked to suggest an alternative state to India’s problems, she skirted around the issue and said that there was a structural flaw in the way Indians imagine themselves. “We need building blocks for a kind of intellectual honesty.”

The author interacted with the crowds and signed copies of her books for fans over the weekend at the event organised by DC Books and was also attended by Shaikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, president of the Emirates Publishers Association, and Counsul-General of India Sanjay Verma among other dignitaries.

Source :
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/todayevent/2012/November/todayevent_November12.xml&section=todayevent

Arundhati Roy shuns 'activist' tag

SHARJAH: Firmly denying she belonged to the activist-writers’ category, the author of The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy, on Saturday said it was wrong to label her an activist just because her writings take up the cause of marginalised sections of society.

Replying to a question, Roy, the first Indian to win a Booker prize for literature, said activism was a subject that needed elaborate discussion, stressing that her non-fictional writing was her way of expressing “myriad forms of resistance” to “wrong” policies.

The writer, known for her straight talk and anti-establishment views, had reservations about the application of the term “activist” in her case by whom she referred to as “market-driven” media, who by and large considered this breed as “boring” people who just repeated ad nauseam whatever they had to say.

There wasn’t a slightest hint of arrogance or harshness in her words or demeanour as was widely attributed to the writer, whose second fictional work the literary world was eagerly expecting, ever since her first book became an international bestseller.

‘What ails India’

In an exclusive interview given to The Gulf Today, she said the voice of Maoists in India, who are criticised for their anti-state stand, has been relatively silenced, because they have been constrained within the forests by the Indian army. But she warned about a growing civil unrest across the country, the presence of which is already being manifest in states like Uttar Pradesh.

She agreed with the point that it was not only in India that the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer. But the development pattern evident in India underlines the injustice meted out to its poorer sections, primarily because of the grip the corporate world had on the government there, she stressed.

Though she was hopeful of what the ongoing civil society movement in India would achieve, according to her, the recent discussion over corruption allegations against a leading Indian opposition figure, tended to peter out into something more political than being part of the larger battle against corruption.

She was of the view that corruption is “polarisation of power and powerlessness” and should not be a “campaigning issue restricted to elections.”

Corruption, according to her, did not begin and end with politicians. As a sole remedy for this deep-rooted menace, she suggested “limiting the size of the corporate world.”

She pointed out that when the doors to a liberalised economy were opened, and authorities decided to then “focus too much on communal issues,” corporate establishments managed an invasion of the economic and the bureaucratic systems — including the fourth estate, which was supposed to highlight the issue.

This has indeed “helped the corporate sector” consolidate its power and resulted in producing a whole gamut of corrupt leaders.

Though she did lay the blame at the voters’ doorstep, for bringing the corrupt to the seat of power, she refused to go by the “silly excuse” that the people eventually get a government they deserve.

on ‘n’ and ‘K’

While dwelling on the ongoing anti-nuclear agitation in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, she asserted that the country should not be a dustbin for America or other powers. She attacked the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for being an “ever-eager servant of America.”

As a continuation of her firm stand on Kashmir expressed at a ‘Meet the Author’ programme on Friday, she said, “Nobody is looking for a solution to the Kashmir issue. Actually Kashmir is a solution for politics in India.”

On Friday’s interaction with readers and fans that was attended by several dignitaries, she touched upon a wide range of topics — from fiction to politics — in her trademark frank manner.

She drew spontaneous applause from the enthused women in the audience with her vocal support for their rights to choose a dress of their choice — be it the all-covering abaya or any other dress.

Lashing out at the caste system in India, she bemoaned its continued prevalence as in the ancient times, while lashing out at the Indian constitution for being a “compromised document,” on account of its ineffectiveness in the matter. 

It was interesting to see the writer, darling of the media, attacking the fourth estate in India, which she maintained was being orchestrated by capitalists.

While drawing attention to her “biased” stand on the media, she said it was not the question of misquoted or distorted views, but a deliberate attempt to malign her by a few people, and sometimes putting things completely out of context.

Source :
http://www.gulftoday.ae/portal/25184a40-b6ec-4eee-b37a-c92470877a27.aspx

State attacking tribals in name of Green Hunt: Roy

Social activist and writer Arundhati Roy speaks to civil liberties activist Lateef Mohammed Khan at a meeting against Operation Green Hunt at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Noted social activist and writer Arundhati Roy on Sunday stressed the need to intensify the revolutionary movements to fight oppression by the state against the people. Speaking at a meeting organised by “Virasam” (Revolutionary Writers' Association) at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram here, Ms Roy said that the successive governments have made lives of common people miserable during the last 20 years by adopting the policies of globalisation, economic liberalisation, free market etc. She added that the reforms being implemented since the last 20 years have only contributed to the declining living standards of common people.

 “The reforms being taken up by the governments under the guise of free market regime have resulted in 30 per cent growth of military forces while adivasis forest areas faced extinction. The policy-makers have conspired to evacuate adivasis from forests under the name of Operation Green Hunt. Ironically, the people’s organisations instead of revolting against these policies are maintaining silence,” Ms Roy said.

While appreciating the recent ‘Bharat Bandh’ against FDI in retail sector, she questioned why parties and people were not agitating against incidents such as Gujarat riots. Referring to the ban on Revolutionary Democratic Front imposed by the state government, she said the people’s organisations have failed to express their anguish over the decision. Ms Roy alleged that the governments have mobilised lakhs of security personnel as part of Operation Green Hunt under the pretext of combating Maoists but they were instead resorting to attacks on innocent tribals. She alleged that the governments were branding Muslims as ‘terrorists’.

Source:
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/state-attacking-tribals-name-green-hunt-roy-929 

Revoke ban on RDF: Arundhati Roy

Writer and social activist Arundhati Roy on Sunday demanded an immediate revoke of the ban imposed on Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF) in the state.

Addressing the gathering at a meeting organised by the Viplava Rachaitala Sangham (Revolutionary Writers’ Association) against the ban, Roy termed the ban unconstitutional and urged the members to keep on with their struggle against state-sponsored violence. “RDF is not a armed organisation. It’s activities are in consonance with the Indian constitution. Then why is it banned?,” she questioned.

However, she said that the ban had indirectly helped the RDF in growing strong. “The ban has indirectly benefited the RDF. It has allowed it to grow stronger and the bond among it’s members and with the people grow deeper,” she said. She lauded RDF’s members for fighting for the human rights of the dalits and the adivasis in rural India.

 “The ban has forced mass migration of RDF’s members from Hyderabad to either Delhi or to the rural parts of the state but still the organisation has grown stronger in the state capital, she said indicating to it’s swell of ranks during the first national conference of the RDF in Hyderabad on April this year.

 However, she seemed a bit disappointed on finding no expression of emotion or anger on the faces of RDF’s members against the ban. “We have stopped thinking and fighting against inequality and discrimination in the society. That is why we are not getting angry,” she explained.

The RDF has limited itself to organising meetings in protest against violation of constitutional rights. It is unfortunate that governments are still using outdated oppressive colonial laws to suppress the democratic rights of the people, said president of the state unit of RPI and senior High Court advocate Bojja Tarakam. Virasam state secretary Varalakshmi, HRF president S Jeevan Kumar spoke on the occasion. The seven-year-old RDF is a democratic organisation active across India in fighting for the rights of the downtrodden.


Source :
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/revoke-ban-on-rdf-arundhati-roy/294614-60-121.html

Accepting inequality part of Indian culture: Roy

Noted writer Arundhati Roy with revolutionary writer Varavara Rao at the meeting of the Revolutionary Writers Association in Hyderabad on Sunday 23rd September, 2012. Photo: G. Ramakrishna

It is a shame that people cannot talk about the economic order and do not know the frontiers of their battle’

Noted writer Arundhati Roy has regretted that it had become part of the Indian culture to accept inequality in society.

Indians had a fond hope that they will live in an equal society when the Naxalbari movement was launched against the zamindari system in the 1970s. The slogan then was ‘land to the tiller’, but now their demand has transformed to retention of whatever land is left with them, she said, addressing a meeting of the Revolutionary Writers Association against the ban on Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF).

Ms. Roy criticised Indian society as the most “rotten” in the world with its people failing to fight against injustice. “It is a shame that they cannot talk about the economic order which threatened society.” People did not know the frontiers of their battle. As a result, the governments doctored their minds and they were left lurching between Islamic terrorism on one hand and Maoism on the other. The governments had adopted the British policy of deploying their forces to deal with terrorist activities from far and wide, she said.

 She called for new alliances between people to fight the assault from the governments. However, the anger of people had come down by 30 per cent, while there was an equal rise in the strength of security forces since economic reforms were initiated in the country in 1991.

Political parties resorted to hypocrisy by stalling Parliament and organising ‘Bharat bandh’ over foreign direct investment in retail trade. The parties did not think about FDI when it was allowed in mining and infrastructure projects, Ms. Roy added. She warned that the army would be deployed in Chhattisgarh to deal with Maoist activity. Earlier, AP Civil Liberties Committee vice president Suresh said that the government had banned RDF, although it did not have an organisational network in the State. Revolutionary writer Varavara Rao
attended the meeting.

Source:
       http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/accepting-inequality-part-of-indian-culture-roy/article3931253.ece

Special Cell exists to torment minorities: Arundhati Roy

Arundhati Roy at a packed auditorium of Jamia Millia Islamia University. Addressing more than 600 students and Batla House residents on Tuesday, Roy said the Cell existed merely to "create fear'' in the minds of minorities .

 "We should be looking at the forms and lines of state brutality. I do not think petitioning will help anymore. It is time to think politically ,'' Roy said, adding, the debate was beyond religious lines as the Indian state had been trying to 'militarize' ever since it aligned with the "pro-market countries like US and Israel'' .

 Roy was speaking at a book release organized by the group, Jamia Teachers' Solidarity, which was formed after the Batla encounter with the objective of demanding a judicial probe into what it calls "killings'' . The JTS released a book titled Framed, Damned, Acquitted: Dossiers of a Very Special Cell that examines 15 cases of Muslim men charged as terrorists and then acquitted by courts. Each of these men spent seven to 14 years in jail.

 Standing up for the men, noted jurist Rajender Sachar said the government had forgotten its "contract' ' to protect its people. Recalling his experiences as a member of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) when Maoist sympathizer Seema Azad's case hit the headlines, he called for repeal of the sedition law. He questioned the government's intentions and asked why Special Cell officers who "framed'' youths did not face action. He said PUCL will help all 15 men discussed in the book receive some amount of compensation

. Later, the JSA said it was demanding several measures from the government on the eve of the Batla encounter . "We want a national commission of enquiry set up immediately to document and investigate all such police excesses across the country. Two, we want a comprehensive rehabilitation package, including assistance in education and occupation ," said a representative . The group also demanded that the government and the police tender a public apology for their actions , the Special Cell be disbanded , and officers involved in the frame up be punished.

 Two of the exonerated men, who spent 14 years in prison, spoke about their pain and loss. Md Aamir Khan was tried in several cases across Delhi, Haryana and UP while Maqbool Shah was charged for being involved in a car blast case at Lajpat Nagar. "When I remember those days, I can only cry out. During the process , I lost my father and elder sister. My business went bust and at times I felt like committing suicide. Yet no fast track court helped me, nor any lawyer initially agreed to take up my case,'' he said.

 Aamir, about whom TOI wrote earlier, claimed he was still "fighting for dignity. I am getting married next month. But, what will I feed my wife and children? Will anyone arrange a job for me?'' he said.


Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Special-Cell-exists-to-torment-minorities-Roy/articleshow/16458968.

‘If govt can’t handle garbage, how will it handle nuclear waste?’

“I stand in complete solidarity with the villagers of Idinthakarai who are resisting the fuel loading of theKoodankulam nuclear reactor. I happened to be in Japan in March 2011 when the earthquake damaged the Fukushima reactor. After the disaster, almost every country that uses nuclear energy declared that it would change its policy. Every country, except India.

Our Government has shown itself incapable of even being able to dispose day to day garbage, leave alone industrial effluent or urban sewage. How does it dare to say that it knows how to deal with nuclear waste? And that nuclear reactors in India are safe?

We know how the Government has colluded with Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals) to ensure that the victims of the Bhopal Gas Leak will never get justice. But no amount of compensation can ever
right a nuclear disaster. I do believe that what is being done in Koodankulam in the name of Development is a crime.”

Source:

http://www.firstpost.com/india/kudankulam-live-if-govt-cant-handle-garbage-how-will-it-handle-nuclear-waste-452361.html