Loving or Hating Arundhati Roy?

26Jan/085

Loving or Hating Arundhati Roy?

Cross-posted from drunkonink blog. Soniah Kamal'sÂ thoughtful write-upÂ is worth sharing here:

Saba Bhaumik's opinion pieceÂ in Outlook India once again attempts to explain why Indians may not be madly in love with Arundhati Roy while the West supposedly is but Bhaumik doesn't say anything that hasn't already been said a million times: Indian males are envious coz Roy is smart, the women are confused by her outspokeness and, while Roy's hair styles challenge beauty norms, her sense of style sets dressing trends.

Ye Gods, cries the plaited, sari wearing, stay at home Indian woman according to Bhaumik, how does Roy do it. Bhaumik should get off the looks wagon--traditional or modern-- and go straight for the brains-- Roy's politics. I do think Bhaumik has a point about Roy's controversial politics and how her views have made her a household name in many worlds but it would have been stronger to have cited reasons other than

the Sunday Times carried a full-page article that somewhat absurdly equated Roy with Victoria Beckham, both described as "role models for young British women". Ridiculous as the comparison between a sexy footballer-wife-pop-star and a serious novelist-essayist may be, it does reveal that Roy has been an icon in the West for some years now.

Roy's greatest crime of course is that of perceived anti-nationalism i.e. not yelling, pompoms aloft, 'East or West, India is the best.' How popular would Roy be if she was American-- or lived in America-- and did not say 'East or West, America is the best and always right'? Or in any country where she was to go against the status quo? Roy's 'style, articulation and high profile causes' may get her attention in the West but is she really an icon? Do women and men look to her for courage to stand up for the depressing issues of the day be it how 'really' poor people are going to fend for themselves, or whether a particular 'terrorist' ('freedom fighter'?) is guilty or framed? Recently Arundhati was on the US radio show Democracy Now saying that, when she talks to journalists from the West, all they want to hear is how absolutely great things in India are and how the great is getting greater by the day. If she goes against that she's suddenly not the most popular guest around. I must add that it hardly escapes notice how journalist after journalist never fail to mention how petite and pretty she is and of course what state her hair is in. If she was obese and plain looking and had ratty hair how much attention would anyone give to what she has to say? Or would her words have more weight, no pun intended? As for Bhaumik's supposition that 'most of us still think of Roy as a Booker Prize winning author of a novel we have never read', I'm assuming she means that Indians have not read it and, with that assumption, I'd like to know which Indians she's talking about because, if there's one novel I would think they'd actually have read, it would be The God of Small Things. This is certainly true in Pakistan where Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children' and Naipal's 'A House for Mr. Biswas' may grace many an English reader's bookshelf but it is Roy's lone ranger that has actually been read.

An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire is Roy's essay on modern day imperialism and the Bush administration. Read a reviewÂ here.

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Sidhusaaheb
January 26th, 2008 - 18:51

I must confess that I’ve not read anything that Ms. Roy has written, so far. I did appreciate the way she spoke up against the state-sponsored pogrom in Gujrat in 2002, though.
Mayank Austen Soofi
January 28th, 2008 - 08:34

It was embarrassing to read Saba Bhaumikâ€™s profile on Arundhati Roy. So clichÃ©d. So unoriginal. (Why has been this piece uploaded on Jahane Rumi?) Besides, my heart goes out to Mr. Sidhusaaheb. He says he has not read anything Ms. Roy has written so far. how sad -I strongly urge him to read her works.
kinkminos
January 28th, 2008 - 12:42

regardless of her waif-like pulchritude, the god of small things remains one of my favourite novels (which is as much a reflection of my limited reading as of her talent). i admire the sheer delicacy of her touch and the way she avoids the slide into maudlin sentimentality. if i could have written one novel, this would have been it.

other than that, roy’s unflagging commitment to issues that matter is admirable. her masculine feminism (as it may be perceived in certain societies) is something that not only women but men too can and should take inspiration from.

in my opinion the fact that she isn’t as well accepted in her own country is no indictment of her politics and weltanschauung. as for the politics of feminine form… well, we all know how much more the west is caught up in superficial “beauty” than the more “backward” east.
kinkminos
January 28th, 2008 - 13:07

just in case it wasn’t clear, i am a big fan of ms roy.
Dastagir
August 20th, 2008 - 09:26

Arundhati Roy is a fine writer., but a finer human being. She donated her prize money to Narbada Bachao Andolan. Arundhati Roy – Megha Patkar – Vandana Shiva – Nafisa Ali – Mallika Sarabhai – and the list is long… represent India’s finest daughters. Call them ICONS or whatever. They represent some “good” that is still left in us (as a nation).

They say, woman representing motherhood represents the Creator. There is a live incident, when a young muslim boy aged 10 was running from a Hindu Mob. The boy entered a hindu home. The women of the house., caught him.. beat him.. and killed the boy brutally knifing him time and again.. and then they threw the body.. that was burnt by their men-folk clapping.. dancing.. ! The women-folk (Mother) did this. When hatred has permeated a society this deeply… it is cause for serious alarm.

Arundhati is saying the TRUTH. Should we reject TRUTH simply because a writer said it ? Arun Jaitley says : A country cannot be run according to the views of a “Writer” ! However a State (Gujarat) can be run on basis of a mentally sick and perverted RSS Pracharak. A state can be run on the views of a cartoonist/ criminal of humanity (Bal Thackerey / Maharashtra).

Even Hitler won elections.. Winnning elections does not clean / write off the genocide / pogroms committed / executed !

Criminals can become MPs and Ministers… a person who lead Shalinyas Rath Yatra unleashing riots killing thousands can become the Home Minister of India [Thief becomes Guard] but. NO WRITER can suggest something. Jaitley’s mindset is sick. He is willing to honour and respect a criminal but not a writer (A man is known by the company he keeps- he has been spending the year organising elections in states.. so he has spent the last few years with criminals… Criminals that win elections, though !).

IF the Communal Situation (Hindu Muslim Hatred) is not contained, it will undo development of the past 60 years.
The Congress is in the habit of pushing things under the Carpet.

Yuvraj Rahul must understand that Hindu-Muslim social relations are key to India’s survival (with or without 10% growth).

Yuvraj must know that this is the major issue since the time of Gopalakrishna Gokhale. We had 1947.. the holocaust of partition… and again a long line of riots / genocides [Maliana / Hashimpura / Nellie / Meerut / Muradabad / Ahmedabad / Hyderabad / Lucknow / Mumbai / Nanded / Parbhani / Gujarat / Aurangabad etc. over the past 60 years]. Not one single person has been apprehended by Law to-date.

Commission of Enquiry are formed to kill time.. A singular criminal can be caught under law, but as re. mob violence the law is rendered practically ineffective.

Yuvraj Rahul must understand that COHESION of India’s social fabric is the CORE issue. Sensitivity and symbolism of Inter-Communal Relations in India. Rajiv Gandhi did NOT understand this fact. He was in a state of denial., in a state of self Delusion.

1984 was a moment in history. he could have grasped it. he wasyoung and did NOT have THAT vision. That was the time to end all communalism.. (Hindu / Muslim / Sikh). he wasted that.

10% growth will be washed away by the Tsunami of hatred ! Economic growth is great but never neglect the emotional quotient. Indian Army must be deployed within 4 hours of a riot… and no communal riot can sustain itself byeond 4 hours unless it has the support of the State Govt.

Gujarat is seceding from India. The Indian Constitution is not applicable on the ground of Gujarat. It is a fact. Gujarat’s Modi Laboratory is a challenge to the Indian Constitution and the Indian State. But nobody cares… All is well…

The Hindu Taliban (Orange Pugrees) will destroy India., just as their cousins (Green Pugrees) destroyed Afghanistan and Pakistan. The HIndu Taliban will not rest until they turn India into a Hindu Pakistan… and that will be a huge civilisational loss.

Yuvraj Rahul must not care about next “elections”. He must prefer caring for the next “generation”. Congress is melting slowly… BJP is occupying that space. Its an intellectual challenge. The RSS vision versus… TINA… (There is no alternative)).. if so… leave the field open for RSS… and when suffering dawns.. all suffer. Look at Iraq…