Booker Prize winning author turned activist Arundhati Roy speaking on the “War of People” at the Marathi patrakar sangh in Bombay:
“I think we should reverse the way we see this issue (war against Naxalism) and the way it is being put to us. But the fact is nobody needs this war more than this government.
“The fact is it is manufacturing an enemy to justify its war. When the prime minister said Maoists are the greatest internal threat to the country for the first time in 2004, what was the situation?
“Maoists were just wiped out in Andhra Pradesh, but why did the share prices of the mining companies go up? Because it was a message to them saying their interests were taken care of. The government actually made the Maoists seem bigger than they were….
“What is that makes it so urgent for the government to fight this war? In 2005, a huge number of MoUs were signed by the biggest corporations in the world, and they have been waiting. If you read the business papers you will understand clearly which MNC is waiting for which land.
“Maoists are only the violent end of a spectrum of a dissent in this country that this massive sale of land is just not on. Whether it is Kalinganagar, or POSCO, or Singur, or the Maoist movement, at the heart is land. All these infrastructure projects, the first thing they do is relocate the poor people.”
Read the full transcript: War of people
Also read: ‘Either you are with us or you are with them?’
One question I’m dying to ask P. Chidambaram
An open letter to home minister P. Chidambaram
CHURUMURI POLL: Will the State beat Naxals?
An open letter to Chetan of Chikkabasavanahalli
Arundhati Roy: ‘What Muslims were to BJP, Maoists are to Congress’
churumuri 
It’s very clever isn’t it. Apparently dissent is everything from petitions to gunning down security forces. It’s just a spectrum. As per Arundhati Roy, there is no difference between calling for a violent overthrow of the Indian Constitution and filing PILs. Ingenious.
It’s the same logic which allows the Government to lock up Binayak Sen and throw away the key. It is the same logic which makes apparently liberal urban India challenge the patriotism of human rights activists. Its the same logic which allows Maoists to aim their violence at any and every section of society. half hearted delayed apologies notwithstanding.
Even if one agreed that large scale deprivation of rights is taking place in the hills, and even if State violence is being used to perpetrate it, the condemnation of State violence through legal means cannot be equated with the violent ideology of Maoism.
Let’s get this straight. The Naxals aren’t going to disband when the companies leave the hills alone. They have not imposed an alternate administration to quietly wind up and enjoy a peaceful retirement when it’s “all over”. A victory will only embolden them to spread their influence and step up attacks.
It is writers like Arundhati Roy whose vacuous and brainless writings damage the efforts of those who are both against State violence and Naxal violence. Essentially, all right thinking people are forced to choose between which violence they want to condone thanks to this careless “spectrum of dissent” rubbish being peddled by her and her ilk.
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So AP’s so strong?
IMHO, rich states like AP and Karnataka simply paid off the maoists and killed the very few stubborn ideaists like Saketh Rajan, it would not be surprising if fellow mao Mir Sadaqs betrayed these leaders.
Both AP and Karnataka are run by mining barons, at least, was until YSR was alive.
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Liberalism is a mental disorder – Michael Savage, a conservative pundit.
I tend to agree with him when I see personalities such as A.Roy. So, it’s all Govt’s mistakes, uh? How convenient !
In a way, it’s sad to see how much media coverage is being given to these apologists and their twisted theories. Intellectual dishonesty from these groups is outrageous.
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The biggest irony is, the kind of people she is supporting would never ever allow anyone to express their opinions. Hypothetically, if Maoists come to power, if Arundathi talks against the state then (like now), she will be in prison in no time (at best)!! She is supporting them unequivocally without even realizing what kind of a society these Maoists are capable of building. The following link shows how secretive, oppressive and abusive the communists can be:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8701959.stm
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Talking about the “displaced” “oppressed” has become a fashion for self declared “human rights activists”…(not to forget the human shield which they present to the media in the form of atrocities by armed forces)
Where are these shameless characters when the naxals/maoists kill innocent civilians/ duty bound soldiers-Police?
They demand better facilities for the poor, at the same time blast schools and bridges!
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If Naxalism ideology is real, then, they should attack all the MP’s and MLA’s and not the innocent people of the land.
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I only part I understand of what Arundathi roy talks about – perhaps as middle class most of Indian city dwellers and opinion makers don’t understand the plight of our tribals and dispossessed. Perhaps we need better sensibility and legal protection.
But, all the other stuff she talks about is unctuous stream of drivel.
She dares the Indian state to arrest her, knowing very well she has the recourse to Indian constitution’s protection – The very same constitution she won’t mind being overthrown by a murderous thugs, who’d never let her write her mind or open her mouth. If she did so, she’ll be doing it with the pain of death.
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I Think after Booker prize, Ms.Arundathi Roy, started loosing her equalibrium. Comparing Muslims to Maoists is the limit one can go. It is a derogative remark comparing the Naxals to muslims. Where is the interlgentia in muslims. Are you listening.
Maoists or terrorists in any religion is not acceptable in a civilized society. And any sensible person should oppose this attitude. Killing civilians to achive a particular end is not acceptable. If people with little intelligence start accepting this, even god cannot save our INDIA.
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harkol,
>>knowing very well she has the recourse to Indian constitution’s protection
But then hasn’t she said that she is a mobile republic and not Indian citizen?
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Unfortunately for the people
– The issues are real and grave
– Urban people and media dont want to bother
– The means for the struggle is wrong and bound to fail
– Wrong people are leading them
– Arundathi is a diversion and not really helping the cause
– more time is spend on dissing this woman than bothering to care about the problem
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pagan:
>But then hasn’t she said that she is a mobile republic and not Indian citizen?
I suspect no country accepts passport of her republic… So, she’d be happily keeping dual citizenship with India and using Indian passport for all her ‘vent my gas’ sessions in pakistan etc.
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While on this subject – Is maoism entirely bad for the country?
I am not very sure. It serves the purpose of a stark reminder of what the govt. policies, which don’t really help the poor, can do to some elements.
Our govts take away land from farmers, without adequately compensating or resettling them. Gives the same land to some rich industrialists in the name of job generation, which rarely helps the dispossessed.
Our politicians are so caught up in the game of making money that they subject even simple administrative things like police transfers to their whims and fancy.
The recent (first hand) news I got, is that the minimum amount a police officer of DSP/ACP level and above has to pay for a plum posting in Bangalore is Rs.15,00,000/- if he has all other ‘qualifications’. Then he needs to continue to ‘contribute’.
This being the state of affairs, how can police be impartial or apply law?
When people can’t rely on a justice system for remedy, what is the surprise if they want to overthrow a system??
Why our politicians and govt. don’t address this as part of a counter naxalism/maoism strategy? Why do they insist on crony capitalism?
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