Arundhati Roy is one of those journalists/writers/activists in India who have a high survival understanding in a field where a static absence means death. She keeps controversial topics close to her chest and very honestly (and unfeigningly) maintains the i-dont-care-what-you-think-of me facade. She often speaks against the wind so as to preserve her position at a distance from the rest of her lot and stay alive. Her style is that of over simplifying things that have more complex solutions and complicating the matters that may have easier resolutions. She frequently reminds me of some modern witch who likes to be called a psychic behind her eyes highlighted with kohl, and who likes it even more when people call her a little cranky.
She has been on my list of irritating good looking women ever since her over simplified version of the Indian Naxalite movement; then she graduated to a new level when she spoke the simple absurdities in/about Kashmir. And in between she has had random opinions on India’s nuclear policy post the Pokhran nuke test. The latest point where she opened her supple mouth to bring some misplaced venom out was at the anti corruption movement led by Anna Hazare. She is highly critical of not just the new bill but also of the man and the entire movement. Though not in clear words, she calls Anna a fake Gandhian.
It is difficult to understand what problems can an ‘intellectual’ have with this movement (other than the mentioned attempt at standing away from the rest of the bourgeoisie intellectuals) that is clearly in favour of fighting corruption. Here are a couple of things that according to my analysis are responsible for this.
1. Roy has always been very vocal about her abhorrence for Narendra Modi, and despite the 2002 stain on the Gujarat collar Anna Hazare praised Modi’s development model in Gujarat.
2. Anna Hazare has had an old association with the RSS.
3. Anna does not support the popular practice of caste based reservations, and not just talks but also has brought into practice the Gandhian model of self dependence based on equal distribution of work in his Ralegan Sidhi.
4. Anna’s movement and the ongoing campaign is being handled by people who are associated with NGOs that gather their funds from multinationals like Coca Cola and Lehman Brothers. She is clearly upset with Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia's NGO ‘Kabir’ that has received a donation of $400,000 from the Ford Foundation in the last 3 years.
5. Arundhati Roy, at the bottom of everything else, is a leftist and pays her homage to Marx by opposing everything that has a stench of a robust Capitalism and a hint of decentralization.
She has always been wary of globalization and privatising government wings to corporations and NGOs. Her biggest concern is that such NGOs and corporations will be out of the Lokpal bill ambit and hence will be free to do corrupt practices themselves. But what she refuses to understand is that it will ultimately be the tax payers’ money that will run these NGOs and corporations and wherever that goes the periphery of the Lokpal jurisdiction will go.
But sadly, I do not expect any sense of rationality from her. Had she been in possession of the right senses she would have made far better use of her Booker Prize money than donate it in a movement to stop a Hydel Power Project in Gujarat.
I for one admire her courage to think out of the box and her perseverance to stand against criticism and ill-treatments.
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing is that we tend to forget easily and put off certain things that are not conventional.If MR Modi can claim the credit for the development of the state( Gujarat) by simple sense of logic, will he not be accountable to the riot( Mind it its not just a riot: many people have lost their lives).
She is not against capitalism but against social justice. She was against the sell out of indian human and natural resources.Guess where all the black money come from.. The business structure favours big companies and MNC`s only, while the indigenous small business supporting the life of the majority of the country is at stake.Our country was exposed to this MNC`s for exploitations; They came throw in x amount of money, used all our resources and make "y" amount of profits. For this the Govt. is also giving tax rebat and some subsidy(complex, i can`t elaborate) on import and export, which in turn helps in further cost reduction thus elimination the indigenous business through competition.
When we consider technological, scientific and medical field, all the advancement we read on the papers and news are farce and just a thin oil film on water.Why are people still dying from malaria, TB, typhoid etc.To generate power at the expense of half a million people(NARMADA) is not all justified by all reasons.when we talk about development we should talk about people, if people change everything changes, things changes but if the people don`t chenge then its of no use. Industralization by importing machinery and inviting MNC`s into our country without developing and nurturing indigenous industry is a total stall mate. Now we are busy learning the business models and industries of other countries in business schools while other are researching to improve and build even more better models. INDIA is a BIG SECULAR country with diverse culture, therefore our approach must also reflects all the diversity. A SIMPLE STAND FOR DEVELOPMENT OR CORRUPTION OR NUCLEAR POWER OR MEMBER OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL ALONE WON`T HELP IF IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE DIVERSITY ( IF ONE OR OTHER PARTY IS SACRIFICED).
I AM A FAN OF ARUNDHATI ROY FOR HER GUTS TO QUESTION THE CONVENTIONAL THINKING AND HER STAND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. Everyone may find ample reasons to hate her now but I am sure that she will go down the history with all pride and glory.