I always read Arundhati Roy’s pieces at one go. Normally it appears in Outlook Magazine and when my newspaper boy drops it on a Sunday morning, I start straight away. From the morning tea to the toilet seat to the breakfast table to the work place, the article follows me or I follow it. I have a special feeling reading what she writes. Her writings are laced with elements of truth and conviction or rather it is apparently visible. Except for a piece she wrote on Gujarat riots – which I vehemently opposed and disagreed with her views – all her articles have appealed me. The words are so carefully selected and arranged so beautifully that the reading is as smooth as a knife on butter. I may agree or disagree with her view is a different aspect altogether but I tend to agree with the quality of her pen or keypad.
The latest is her essay on Afsal Guru titled ‘Don’t Hang Afsal’ which appeared in Moulvi Vinod Mehta’s ‘Congress’ magazine Outlook. As usual Mr Mehta is fond of anti-establishment letters and so publishes them. I find there are more such letters than those supporting the article. Back in Gujarat I find many of my colleagues circulating emails, which asks for writing to President not to grant mercy to Afsal.
The only source of information for a common citizen is through media and media has played a partisan role in almost all the cases in the country. Trial by media is the mantra and gradually deception turns into honesty, truth becomes causality and honesty turns into desperation. Arundhati Roy is also using the same process-using Outlook but unlike in other media outlets – whose cub reporters and inexperienced glamour girls – present the matter in a more emotional and personal way without evidence, this one is an essay that is full of substantial proof. That is the reason people write letters attacking Ms Roy personally but do not dispute on what she has written. I have recently noticed that young and good looking girls with jeans and Loreal curls are roaming around police stations chasing constables to find out what they can produce for their every day show which starts with Crime but suffixed with any sundry word. It could be Crime Reporter, Crime File, Crime Clerk, Crime Commissioner, Crime Crime Crime. They are the people assigned to cover courts as well. When arguments for high profile cases continue they have to frequently come out and give a live byte and get back to the courtroom. Courts – especially SC – strictly ban mobile phones. At the end of the day each one of them comes to a conclusion, which may or may not be relevant to the case. But this is what general people listen to or read next morning. They take it for granted especially during sensitive issues like parliament attack and a neighboring enemy country is involved. Every one quotes from the newspaper or news channels to substantiate their point of view. “Paper mein aya tha na?” they immediately shoot back. Being a journalist myself I cannot argue further because that will jeopardize my credibility. They have taken it for granted unlike in civilized societies. Take the case of America where Mr Bush bombarded victory signs in Iraq saying how America has stopped terrorism by attacking two sovereign nations. But unlike here people did not take that for granted and the results are here to see.
I have been following many of these cases and sitting miles away from the scene if I still am not convinced about a pre-diwali Ansal Plaza shoot out, a pre-Clinton Sikh massacre, a pre-election Akshardham attack. The investigating agencies or the government of the day never tried to clear my doubts. But Ms Roy gives enough proof to believe otherwise. With so much resources at its disposal, the government can’t do anything to bring out the truth, it takes a writer’s courage and investigation to give me an iota of truth convincingly.
I have gone through many literary ‘greats’ who termed her as a one novel wonder. Many said she has wasted her talent in mixing activism with literature. Many went further saying she has vested interests and is sponsored by anti-national forces. Now let me ask these so-called literary ‘greats’ how they have helped the society by their writings. Their books are exorbitantly priced and heavily jargoned that people like me can neither afford to buy it nor understand it. But most of them are literary success stories. They earn huge money as the books go into reprints one after the other. Who benefited from this sale of books? Only the publisher and the author. So how can Ms Roy be one novel wonder? She used her celebrity status to disseminate information, which hitherto was unknown to you and me and at a price of Rs 15.
ba
The latest is her essay on Afsal Guru titled ‘Don’t Hang Afsal’ which appeared in Moulvi Vinod Mehta’s ‘Congress’ magazine Outlook. As usual Mr Mehta is fond of anti-establishment letters and so publishes them. I find there are more such letters than those supporting the article. Back in Gujarat I find many of my colleagues circulating emails, which asks for writing to President not to grant mercy to Afsal.
The only source of information for a common citizen is through media and media has played a partisan role in almost all the cases in the country. Trial by media is the mantra and gradually deception turns into honesty, truth becomes causality and honesty turns into desperation. Arundhati Roy is also using the same process-using Outlook but unlike in other media outlets – whose cub reporters and inexperienced glamour girls – present the matter in a more emotional and personal way without evidence, this one is an essay that is full of substantial proof. That is the reason people write letters attacking Ms Roy personally but do not dispute on what she has written. I have recently noticed that young and good looking girls with jeans and Loreal curls are roaming around police stations chasing constables to find out what they can produce for their every day show which starts with Crime but suffixed with any sundry word. It could be Crime Reporter, Crime File, Crime Clerk, Crime Commissioner, Crime Crime Crime. They are the people assigned to cover courts as well. When arguments for high profile cases continue they have to frequently come out and give a live byte and get back to the courtroom. Courts – especially SC – strictly ban mobile phones. At the end of the day each one of them comes to a conclusion, which may or may not be relevant to the case. But this is what general people listen to or read next morning. They take it for granted especially during sensitive issues like parliament attack and a neighboring enemy country is involved. Every one quotes from the newspaper or news channels to substantiate their point of view. “Paper mein aya tha na?” they immediately shoot back. Being a journalist myself I cannot argue further because that will jeopardize my credibility. They have taken it for granted unlike in civilized societies. Take the case of America where Mr Bush bombarded victory signs in Iraq saying how America has stopped terrorism by attacking two sovereign nations. But unlike here people did not take that for granted and the results are here to see.
I have been following many of these cases and sitting miles away from the scene if I still am not convinced about a pre-diwali Ansal Plaza shoot out, a pre-Clinton Sikh massacre, a pre-election Akshardham attack. The investigating agencies or the government of the day never tried to clear my doubts. But Ms Roy gives enough proof to believe otherwise. With so much resources at its disposal, the government can’t do anything to bring out the truth, it takes a writer’s courage and investigation to give me an iota of truth convincingly.
I have gone through many literary ‘greats’ who termed her as a one novel wonder. Many said she has wasted her talent in mixing activism with literature. Many went further saying she has vested interests and is sponsored by anti-national forces. Now let me ask these so-called literary ‘greats’ how they have helped the society by their writings. Their books are exorbitantly priced and heavily jargoned that people like me can neither afford to buy it nor understand it. But most of them are literary success stories. They earn huge money as the books go into reprints one after the other. Who benefited from this sale of books? Only the publisher and the author. So how can Ms Roy be one novel wonder? She used her celebrity status to disseminate information, which hitherto was unknown to you and me and at a price of Rs 15.
ba
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