23 August 2011

Why I’d rather be Anna than Arundhati

Arundhati Roy, is someone I always identified with her Booker Prize winner "The God of small things". who also wrote screenplay and starred in Electric Moon I think. A very good looking women, she surprised one and all with her anti state comments on Naxal movements.

It was rather unfortunate that she chose to use her writing skills (not necessarily backed up by adequate knowledge and ground reality) to take a jibe on Anna movement on anti corruption. I read her post Anna is not secular and here I would rather not be Anna. I did not give it a second read, she sounded hungry for attention and was clearly seeking that by being dramatic.



It was bit surprising to hear her concerns about Anna attempts to 'overthrow the govt' especially coming from someone who had said "Reiterating her pro-Naxal stand, author Arundhati Roy said the ‘movement’ had to be ‘an armed one’. She even asked commoners to ‘join’ the rebels in their ‘war’" Read more Make Naxal win this war. Also added “What I meant was, Naxals are more Gandhian than others as far as their consumption is concerned. But the Gandhian way of rebellion needs an audience which is absent in our present scenario.”
I wonder how could there be such ideological differences in what she said earlier vs now. Even Medha Patkar, the other left winged activist has publicly not just supported the anti corruption movement but even stood behind Anna Hazare and RTI activism.


I recently read a blog post by Mr. Clarity (AY), which without mincing words is a point by point response to Ms. Roy. Its a great post since it exposes how superficial Ms. Roy arguments are - an am not surprised. Ms. Roy just woke up a bit groggy and realized she needs to say something before everything ends. She was not unfortunately fully awake when she wrote it. Some more Coffee Ms. Roy!


Here is Mr. Clarity Why I'd rather be Anna than Arundhati Roy!

7 comments:

Chintan said...

hmm I shall read

Burzin Billimoria said...

Yes, I read both articles. Ms. Roy's article was extremely disturbing when I read it yesterday. But Mr. Clarity dismembered all her points against Anna point-by-point with logical and relevant arguments. Brilliantly written.

To all those who say Parliament is Paramount and Parliament alone can make the laws. I agree. But I would also like those people (including our "elected representatives") to open the Constitution of India. It begins with "We the People....." not "We the Elected Representatives..."

Our elected representatives are exactly that "our representatives". They need to reflect the voice of the people in their constituency and not the other way round. Some where along the way, they seem to have forgotten that. Lets remind them again, lest they forget it again.

mayankpandey said...

Burzin - Thats so well said. With the latest developments as on yesterday, the govt has definitely been reminded that they are for people. I hope the negotiations go through with some give and take, the truth is parliament would continue to have full powers to decide the fate of the bill. For those who claim that the process so far has been undemocratic, they will have time to see how the parliament performs.

Burzin Billimoria said...

Mayank,

I have full faith in my Country, Democracy and Parliament. I only don't have faith in the people sitting there. :(

I will be happy if they prove us all wrong.

Zephyr said...

I have little respect for the socialite social workers or activists. Give me grassroots social workers any day. AR with her carefully made up face and hair should restrict herself to making seditious comments in Kashmir and cooing to the Maoists. She has nothing in common with the common man's concern. Read both the articles. May God give the good sense to at least the clean and impeccable members in the Parliament to stand up and say Yes to a strong Lokpal and let them do it before Anna suffers more.

mayankpandey said...

Hope so!!

Shrinidhi Hande said...

She seems to make comments without thinking what it implies...