[Reader-list] Statement by Arundhati Roy on the Attack on her Residence

Mon Nov 1 11:48:15 IST 2010

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main47.asp?filename=Ne061110CoverstoryII.asp

*Your critics are accusing you of not being sensitive to the plight of
Kashmiri Pandits*.
Well my critics should read what I write and hear what I say. But for the
record: I think what has happened to the Kashmiri Pandits is a terrible
tragedy. I think that the story of the Pandits is one that still remains to
be told in all its complexity. Everyone was at fault, the militancy, the
Islamist upsurge in the Valley, and the Indian government, which encouraged
(even helped) the Pandits to flee when it should have done everything it
could to protect them. Apart from losing everything they had and the only
home they really knew, the poorest Pandits are still living in camps in
Jammu in the worst conditions, and have had their voices hijacked by some
well-heeled and noisy charlatans who feed off the destitution of their own
people to get a lot of cheap political mileage. They have a vested interest
in keeping them poor, so they can show them off, like animals in a zoo. Do
you think that if the government really cared it could not have helped those
poor people to better their lot? In all my visits to Kashmir I have sensed
that ordinary Kashmiri Muslims feel a terrible sense of loss at the
departure of the Pandits. If that is true, it is the duty of the leaders of
Kashmir’s present struggle to get the Pandits to return. That needs more
than rhetoric. Apart from it being the right thing to do, it would give them
enormous moral capital. It would also help shape their vision of what kind
of Kashmir they are fighting for. Let’s also not forget that there are a few
thousand Pandits who have lived in the Valley through these troubled years,
and unharmed.

On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 11:30 AM, SJabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Samvit,
> I have already replied to Rashneek.  When you say ‘Roy uses democracy to
> tarnish democracy’ what do you mean?  How can democracy be tarnished?
> Democracy is democracy and does not mean simply the holding of free and
> fair
> elections.  It can be a healthy, robust democracy, in which case it needs
> to
> be accommodative of all shades of opinion or it can be a shallow democracy
> where rights are curtailed.   If you say she lies about certain aspects of
> Indian democracy or she exaggerates its flaws, you have every right to
> counter them with facts, but to shut someone up simply because you disagree
> with them amounts to, in my opinion, tarnishing democracy.
>
> You say  ‘she and her cronies bend on their knees when they are in the
> Valley.’  Again, whatever do you mean?  She has political views that many
> people don’t agree with, but why should that mean that you need to counter
> those views with violence?  You can debate with her, you can write an open
> letter to the newspapers and prove where she is mistaken in her views and
> let people decide who is wiser.
>
> And no, I have not heard her ‘calling India a "bhookha, nanga desh!!"’   On
> the contrary I have read her saying she finds that slogan offensive.  And
> say, for argument’s sake she did call India  ‘bhookha, nanga desh’.  Isn’t
> it true that millions of our citizens still go to sleep hungry, that in the
> 21st c there are farmer’s suicides, massive urban poverty, and that
> millions
> have no access to health, sanitation and education?  These are realities
> and
> challenges that India must face in an age of crony capitalism where the
> country’s wealth ends up in the hands of a few and not sweep them under the
> carpet.
> sj
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 01/11/10 11:08 AM, "Samvit" <samvitr at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Dear Sonia,
> > I think what Rashneek's wrote answers your question. Roy uses democracy
> to
> > tarnish democracy. She and her cronies bend on their knees when they are
> in
> > the Valley. You should have seen how Gautam was sitting like a frightened
> > pigeon before he went on to speak at the Saddar Court complex. He
> apologized
> > for his facebook remarks, took his statement back and only then could one
> see
> > him breathing easy. He knew the rules of the Valley, they are similar to
> the
> > ones that Roy follows. It would have been almost impossible for Gautam to
> step
> > his foot in Kashmir if he did not go with the flow. After that statement,
> the
> > goshtabas flowed. Talk about Goshtaba diplomacy!!
> > Sonia, you must have heard Roy calling India a "bhookha, nanga desh!!".
> > Perhaps, this could also be used for her- "ek ghoshtabe ke bhooke aur
> > ad-nangee Roy!" but then the "hooligan right wingers" seem to be more
> cultured
> > than the "ghoshtaba eating "so called "leftists/maoists".
> > -Sam
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 10:13 AM, SJabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Dear Samvit,
> >> You need to distinguish between the right to expression or free speech
> and
> >> the right to indulge in violence or to incite violence.  The first is
> >> enshrined in our constitution, the second punishable by law.  To call
> >> Arundhati Roy a thug and to equate her political views with those who
> can
> >> only counter her political views with physical violence is a travesty.
> >> You cannot wish someone "good health and safety" while cheering on
> people
> >> bent on tearing down her house and doing her injury.
> >> sj
> >>
> >>
> >> On 01/11/10 9:15 AM, "Samvit" <samvitr at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> > A classic example of *pot calling the kettle black*. How conveniently
> >>> > you
> >> abuse and slot others. If someone is attacking Roy's house I think it
> >>> > is
> >> their way of expression. Roy doesn't hold a monopoly on "right
> >>> > to
> >> expression" and neither does she decide where to draw the line. She
> >>> > should
> >> be knowing all this very well since she keeps company of known
> >>> > terrorists of
> >> the ilk that were seen in Delhi with her. Why do you feel so
> >>> > meek now that
> >> you have to be sladerous?? using words like.....hooligans,
> >>> > obsene....
> >>
> >> Although I wish her good health and safety so that she can
> >>> > continue
> >> gallavanting from place to place, topic to topic but then there are
> >>> > millions
> >> out there who get inspired by her and want to teach her some
> >>> > "expression".
> >> Thugs like her understand the language of thugs, perhaps.
> >>
> >>
> >> On
> >>> > Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 10:31 PM, shuddha at sarai.net <shuddha at sarai.net
> >wrote:
> >>
> >>> >
> >>> > Dear all,
> >>> >
> >>> > the disgusting and obscene attacks on Arundhati Roy in sections
> >>> > of the
> >>> > media
> >>> > and even, unfortunately on a forum like this one by right
> >>> > wing hooligans
> >>> > (including some on this list) is now being complemented by
> >>> > attacks and
> >>> > vandalism at her residence, in the full glare of the media. It
> >>> > is not Ms.
> >>> > Roy
> >>> > who seeks out media coverage, it is the thugs who attack
> >>> > her who
> >>> > pre-arrange to
> >>> > have television OB vans in place while they attempt
> >>> > to ransack her
> >>> > residence.
> >>> >
> >>> > Those interested may read the statement below
> >>> > by Arundhati Roy in response
> >>> > to
> >>> > the most recent attack,
> >>> >
> >>> > best,
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > Shuddha
> >>> >
> >>> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > SOMETHING FOR THE MEDIA TO THINK ABOUT
> >>> >
> >>> >  A mob of about a hundred people
> >>> > arrived at my house at 11 this morning
> >>> > (Sunday
> >>> > October 31st 2010.) They
> >>> > broke through the gate and vandalized property.
> >>> > They
> >>> > shouted slogans
> >>> > against me for my views on K...ashmir, and threatened to
> >>> > teach
> >>> > me a
> >>> > lesson. The OB Vans of NDTV, Times Now and News 24 were already in
> >>> > place
> >>> >
> >>> > ostensibly to cover the event live. TV reports say that the mob
> consisted>
> >>> > largely of members of the BJP¹s Mahila Morcha (Women¹s wing). After
> they
> >>> >
> >>> > left, the police advised us to let them know if in future we saw any
> OB
> >>> >
> >>> > vans
> >>> > hanging around the neighborhood because they said that was an
> >>> > indication
> >>> > that a
> >>> > mob was on its way. In June this year, after a false
> >>> > report in the papers
> >>> > by
> >>> > Press Trust of India (PTI) two men on motorcycles
> >>> > tried to stone the
> >>> > windows of
> >>> > my home. They too were accompanied by TV
> >>> > cameramen.
> >>> >
> >>> > What is the nature of the agreement between these sections of
> >>> > the media and
> >>> > mobs and criminals in search of spectacle? Does the media
> >>> > which positions
> >>> > itself at the Œscene¹ in advance have a guarantee that the
> >>> > attacks and
> >>> > demonstrations will be non-violent? What happens if there is
> >>> > criminal
> >>> > trespass
> >>> > (as there was today) or even something worse? Does the
> >>> > media then become
> >>> > accessory to the crime? This question is important, given
> >>> > that some TV
> >>> > channels
> >>> > and newspapers are in the process of brazenly
> >>> > inciting mob anger against
> >>> > me. In
> >>> > the race for sensationalism the line
> >>> > between reporting news and
> >>> > manufacturing
> >>> > news is becoming blurred. So what
> >>> > if a few people have to be sacrificed at
> >>> > the
> >>> > altar of TRP ratings? The
> >>> > Government has indicated that it does not intend
> >>> > to
> >>> > go ahead with the
> >>> > charges of sedition against me and the other speakers at
> >>> > a
> >>> > recent seminar
> >>> > on Azadi for Kashmir.
> >>> >
> >>> > So the task of punishing me for my views seems to
> >>> > have been taken on by
> >>> > right
> >>> > wing storm troopers. The Bajrang Dal and the
> >>> > RSS have openly announced that
> >>> > they are going to ³fix² me with all the means
> >>> > at their disposal including
> >>> > filing cases against me all over the country.
> >>> > The whole country has seen
> >>> > what
> >>> > they are capable of doing, the extent to
> >>> > which they are capable of going.
> >>> > So,
> >>> > while the Government is showing a
> >>> > degree of maturity, are sections of the
> >>> > media
> >>> > and the infrastructure of
> >>> > democracy being rented out to those who believe
> >>> > in mob
> >>> > justice? I can
> >>> > understand that the BJP's Mahila Morcha is using me to
> >>> > distract
> >>> > attention
> >>> > the from the senior RSS activist Indresh Kumar who has recently
> >>> > been
> >>> > named
> >>> > in the CBI charge-sheet for the bomb blast in Ajmer Sharif in which
> >>> > several
> >>> > people were killed and many injured. But why are sections of the
> >>> > mainstream
> >>> > media doing the same? Is a writer with unpopular views more
> >>> > dangerous than a
> >>> > suspect in a bomb blast? Or is it a question of
> >>> > ideological
> >>> > alignment?
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > Arundhati Roy
> >>> > October 31st 2010
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > _________________________________________
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> >>> > list on media and the city.
> >>> > Critiques & Collaborations
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Samvit
> >>> > Rawal
> >> 9422037853
> >> -----------------------------------------------------------
> >> T
> >>> > o err is human; to forgive, infrequent.
> >>   - Franklin P.
> >>> > Adams
> >> _________________________________________
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> >>> > discussion list on media and the city.
> >> Critiques & Collaborations
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> subscribe
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
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