Arundhati Roy (the lone booker-prize winner from our country) recently made some scathing observation about India’s role in Kashmir has obviously outraged a large section of Indians within the country and outside and no doubt, I am one among them. I attribute her statement to the usual cheap tactics cleverly employed by some our unscrupulous politicians (there are many) to make headlines. Otherwise, what are her credentials to make such a statement? Is it winning a Booker Prize and going into oblivion forever? Or, is it cleverly crafted attempts to project herself as a champion of the masses by leading a few campaigns to raise some environmental issues? I find her struggling to be in the news always. She was recently come out strongly in support of the Maoists (specifically against a few reported human rights violations and restriction on freedom of speech.) Yes, I must admit that she is entitled to speak on anything, like any other citizen of this country, but I feel it must be genuine and sincere and should be directed against the government (I mean the establishment), but not against the country.
Who is she to say that Kashmir was never an integral part of India? If that is the case, which of the country was always an integral part of this nation? The very concept of India, though existed as an abstract concept in the minds of our countrymen earlier, materialized only after the coming of British or the Europeans in general. It was never united as a single entity ever in the history. However, after attaining Independence, there was a deliberate attempt to develop this abstract concept of nationhood into something concrete as we see today, and I think Kashmir is not an exception.
Her statement hurt me personally. I never considered her as an important personality in Indian social or political arena. I considered her a person who is always trying to capture media headlines using her clout as an academic prize winner and an international celebrity. This is the real thorn in the flesh. Since she is an international celebrity, the world over at least listen to what she says and this emboldens this writer to say anything.
Her opinion is obviously skewed. By watching a handful of hooligans, inspired and cleverly taught by a handful of selfish men, protesting against Indian state (our very identity), she came to the conclusion that Kashmir is not an integral part of India. I think she should have done her homework well before making such comments again.
After all, she is non-entity in Indian politics. We need to reject such persons and their utterances with contempt they deserve.
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