[Reader-list] Statement by Arundhati Roy

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

*Very well put by actor Anupam Kher on twitter.
**Kher writes - Father called from Simla, "Arundhati Roy is innocent."**"As
a Kashmiri how can you say that?"**"A person who has lost her\her mind is
innocent. :)
*

On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 8:03 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta <shuddha at sarai.net>wrote:

> Samvit,
>
> the only thing I (and I am sure there are others on this list who will
> agree with me) am in awe of is the depths of your misogyny. That you see it
> fit to comment in this manner about the personal lives of others only proves
> that you have absolutely no moral or ethical standards of your own.
> Something is deeply disturbing with the nationaist Indian obsession with
> matters of sexuality, attire, and personal life choices. Are you all in need
> of some prolonged courses of therapeutic treatment, or are you simply
> depraved individuals who use their exhibitinonist patriotic outrage as a
> cover for the darkest of fantasies. Wilhelm Reich in his investigations into
> the links between Fascism and Sexual Repression in Germany was maybe onto
> something that we need to start seriously thinking about in contemporary
> India.
>
> best
>
> Shuddha
>
>
>
> On 27-Oct-10, at 6:34 PM, Samvit wrote:
>
>  I think that she is an intellectual leftover. It is very surprising
>> that I find people of Sarai are raving about a woman who is
>> pardaoxically opposite to the leftist ideology.  While the stories of
>> her promiscuity are legendary I would not talk about them as it would
>> be interfering in her personal life. However some years back I saw her
>> in the skimpiest clothing going to the most capitalistic gym anyone
>> can think of.
>>
>> Those who rave about her writing need to read more writers and they
>> would realize what talent Arundati has got. Also, it is "en vogue" to
>> write against India. The great India rope trick sells like hot cake.
>> Write a book that says elephants run on Indian roads and it sells like
>> hot cake in the "developed world".
>> It is the intellectual leftovers like her and Gautam Navlakha who call
>> India "a corporate Hindu state". It is pretty sad that people on this
>> forum are "in awe of her".
>> -Samvit
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 5:47 PM, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I guess people in India will read her only after she gets Nobel for
>>> literature.
>>> which she deserves
>>>
>>>
>>> love
>>> is
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 3:14 PM, Rajkamal Goswami
>>> <rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear Aditya
>>>>
>>>> I am sure yo know about her fictional work 1 novel & 1 screenplay. But
>>>> I am not sure if you have read her non-fictional work. Well she didn't
>>>> win booker for them but she won the "Sydney Peace Prize" and the
>>>> "Sahitya Akademi award" which she politely refused. Her body of non
>>>> fiction work is far greater (both in volume and quality) than her
>>>> fictional work. I hope you have read her work. If not please read
>>>> atleast the essential Roy viz "The greater common good", the "Algebra
>>>> of Infinite justice", "Come September", Do Turkeys Enjoy
>>>> Thanksgiving", "Peace is War", "Listening To Grasshoppers", "Shall We
>>>> Leave It to the Experts?" and my favorite  “The Ladies have feelings
>>>> so…”  You should definitely read the last one because it answers your
>>>> query about the very questions that you have raised.
>>>>
>>>> Regarding a fiction writer being political, well all writers are
>>>> political. That some chose to remain silent is also a political
>>>> activity. That Ms. Roy choses to write her politics and throw it open
>>>> to ideas and criticism is the best thing I really like about her.
>>>> Besides she is also indulged in field activism, giving her voice to
>>>> the voiceless and rooting for real democracy.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>> r
>>>>
>>>> On 10/27/10, Aditya Raj Kaul <kauladityaraj at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Are you the moderator? Just curious again. You indeed have a big hand.
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 2:31 PM, Tapas Ray [Gmail]
>>>>> <tapasrayx at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>  ps: I mean, to Aditya.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 27 October 2010 14:30, Tapas Ray [Gmail] <tapasrayx at gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Really intelligent comment. Let's give him a big hand!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 27 October 2010 14:23, Aditya Raj Kaul <kauladityaraj at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Isn't she a Fiction writer? Or is she really a writer? Just curious.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 2:01 PM, Rajkamal Goswami <
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> rajkamalgoswami at gmail.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>  I am just in awe of this woman.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On 10/27/10, Tapas Ray [Gmail] <tapasrayx at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Pheeta,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> No problem, and no need to apologise!
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Tapas
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On 27 October 2010 09:07, Pheeta Ram <pheeta.ram at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Dear Tapas
>>>>>>>>>>> Actually the statement was sent to me by somebody. I forgot to
>>>>>>>>>>> check
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> if
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> it
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> had already been published online; that's why there was no link.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>>>>> reminding me the etiquettes of responsible online publishing.
>>>>>>>>>>> I shall take care next time.
>>>>>>>>>>> Pheeta Ram
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 6:42 AM, Tapas Ray [Gmail] <
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> tapasrayx at gmail.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>  wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Pheeta,
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks for this. I think it would be good if we gave the links
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> along
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> with any material from online sources that we might be posting.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> This
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> one's is
>>>>>>>>>>>> <
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>> http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/arundhati-roys-statement-on-possible-sedition-case-62566
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> As for offline sources (e.g., printed books, etc.), a mention of
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> source, as complete as possible, would be very helpful.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks again.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Tapas
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 27 October 2010 02:10, Pheeta Ram <pheeta.ram at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> STATEMENT BY ARUNDHATI ROY
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I write this from Srinagar, Kashmir. This morning’s papers say
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> that I
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> may be arrested on charges of sedition for what I have said at
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> recent
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> public meetings on Kashmir. I said what millions of people here
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> say
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> every day. I said what I, as well as other commentators have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> written
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> and said for years. Anybody who cares to read the transcripts of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> my
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> speeches will see that they were fundamentally a call for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> justice. I
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> spoke about justice for the people of Kashmir who live under one
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> the most brutal military occupations in the world; for Kashmiri
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pandits who live out the tragedy of having been driven out of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> their
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> homeland; for Dalit soldiers killed in Kashmir whose graves I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> visited
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> on garbage heaps in their villages in Cuddalore; for the Indian
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> poor
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> who pay the price of this occupation in material ways and who
>>>>>>>>>>>>> are
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> now
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> learning to live in the terror of what is becoming a police
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> state.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yesterday I traveled to Shopian, the apple-town in South
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kashmir
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> had remained closed for 47 days last year in protest against the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> brutal rape and murder of Asiya and Nilofer, the young women
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> whose
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> bodies were found in a shallow stream near their homes and whose
>>>>>>>>>>>>> murderers have still not been brought to justice. I met
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shakeel,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> who
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> is Nilofer’s husband and Asiya’s brother.  We sat in a circle of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> people crazed with grief and anger who had lost hope that they
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> would
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ever get ‘insaf’—justice—from India, and now believed that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Azadi—freedom— was their only hope. I met young stone pelters
>>>>>>>>>>>>> who
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> had
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> been shot through their eyes. I traveled with a young man who
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> told me
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> how three of his friends, teenagers in Anantnag district, had
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> been
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> taken into custody and had their finger-nails pulled out as
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> punishment
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> for throwing stones.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> In the papers some have accused me of giving ‘hate-speeches’,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> wanting India to break up. On the contrary, what I say comes
>>>>>>>>>>>>> from
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> love
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> and pride. It comes from not wanting people to be killed, raped,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> imprisoned or have their finger-nails pulled out in order to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> force
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> them to say they are Indians. It comes from wanting to live in a
>>>>>>>>>>>>> society that is striving to be a just one. Pity the nation that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> has
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> silence its writers for speaking their minds. Pity the nation
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> needs to jail those who ask for justice, while communal killers,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> mass
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> murderers, corporate scamsters, looters, rapists, and those who
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> prey
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> on the poorest of the poor, roam free.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Arundhati Roy
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> October 26 2010
>>>>>>>>>>>>> _________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> _________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>>>>>>>>>> subscribe in the subject header.
>>>>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>  _________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>>>>>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> subscribe
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> in the subject header.
>>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe:
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>>>>>>>>>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Rajkamal
>>>>>>>>> _________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>>>>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>>>>>>> subscribe in the subject header.
>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe:
>>>>>>>>> https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
>>>>>>>>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>  _________________________________________
>>>>>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>>>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> subscribe in the subject header.
>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>  _________________________________________
>>>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>>>> subscribe in the subject header.
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>  _________________________________________
>>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>>> subscribe
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Rajkamal
>>>> _________________________________________
>>>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>>>> Critiques & Collaborations
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>>>> subscribe in the subject header.
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> http://indersalim.livejournal.com
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Samvit Rawal
>> 9422037853
>> -----------------------------------------------------------
>> To err is human; to forgive, infrequent.
>>  - Franklin P. Adams
>> _________________________________________
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>>
>
> Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> The Sarai Programme at CSDS
> Raqs Media Collective
> shuddha at sarai.net
> www.sarai.net
> www.raqsmediacollective.net
>
>
>
> _________________________________________
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