The recent statements by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, leader of separatist Kashmiri group Hurriyat and author Arundhati Roy about Kashmiri independence have raised a political storm in New Delhi. Several political parties and members of media have called out for arrests of these leaders on the charges of treason. Consequently there continues a constitutional debate in the country for the legality of their arrests.
Although the Delhi Police has been given a go-ahead to file charges against the leaders, it remains to be seen whether the arrests will actually be carried out. The government continues to refuse from committing itself to either side. While there is strong sentiments in New Delhi to appease, arrest of Geelani may lead to revived political protests in Kashmir and arrest of Roy may invite international criticism.
An interesting parallel is the recent drama that went on in China about Liu Xiabo who is the Nobel Peace Prize winner this year and currently under house-arrest in China. Immediately after the announcement of the prize, the Chinese led a major crackdown on internet erasing the news, arranged for a political hit-job on his character and rebuked Nobel prize committee for daring to give him the prize.
These are the reasons why we should not adopt the same model here at home:
1. International criticism not cool for a country trying to spit polish its Democracy medallions in a region full of dictatorships and communism.
2. Something called free speech as a constitutional right.
3. The fact that such statements from time-to-time are important to be made. Our government, like any other government, is not very effective in taking initiatives. It is only by forcing the government, by making big hue and cry that you can force any government to bring in reforms and I hope no one will disagree that we need reforms in Kashmir. I do not agree with Roy but I disagree with her arrest as well.
Someone just pointed out that I should be last person to cry free speech since I am in everyone's face who doesn't agree with me. But I do it for free, as an individual. The government is also free to do so, by bashing Roy through public statements. But arresting her would be crossing a line that I am really hoping we would not.
Again, I am saying Roy is an idiot who made an incorrect statement and she probably has no idea about the real situation in Kashmir. But that doesn't mean you should arrest her.
Image: Arundhati Roy, Liu Xiabo
Image credit: Jeanbaptisteparis, Voice of America
Kashmir is named after an ancient Indian sage — Rishi Kashyap. Kashmir is and has always been an integral part of India for over 5000 years. Was Pakistan not a part of India not too long ago? And why did the maharaja of Kashmir sign the letter of accession with India? Or maybe millions of Kashmiri Hindu pundits never existed? Or perhaps, inside Roy's twisted little brain, among the dozens of Muslim-majority regions within India, none was actually a part of India, ever? Or in her viewpoint, maybe India never existed, and therefore every state should call for independence? What's all this nonsense? What's the point of continuous hysterical diatribes against all things Indian and India?
ReplyDeleteWhat does she really want? Dissolution of the union? Or starvation and death of millions on the Indian subcontinent in the future by carving out yet another state, just to please some intellectually deficient folks like her? Does free press means a journalist should write how he or she ‘feels’ depending on mood swings? How does anyone know that Roy didn't secretly get foreign cash to put on a show of whistleblower while openly engaging in seditious writings? If anyone were to take Roy's arguments seriously, we’d have hundreds of Muslim-majority regions in the world that will need to be carved out for Muslims. That’s plain ridiculous! And if it has to be that way, then there has to another great migration where Muslims in India have to be sent over to Pakistan first.
Consider this -- say journalists in China were to call for an independent Tibet, they’d be quickly thrown into prison, and if lucky, avoid broken bones. Here you have a below average journalist, Arundhati Roy, who goes on to write that Kashmir was never an integral part of India! Really? Liu Xiaobo is a true scholar and wrote to his government about reforms on free speech guaranteed by his country’s constitution. Roy’s behavior is the exact opposite — she is taking undue advantage of free speech and free press to trample on India’s constitution and sedition laws (section 124A).
With journalism in particular, there is a difference between scholar and squalor. To cite another example, Roy says Maoists are “Gandhians with Guns.” Anyone who knows even an ounce of Gandhi will tell you that the phrase is an oxymoron and an insult to a great man who courageously stood up for a non-violent freedom struggle. There’s no reason why squalor should be encouraged in the name of free press. If democracy isn’t working all that well with a billion plus people, perhaps a new model of “socialism with Indian characteristics” might be a wise option to current anarchy.
Content matters. A free press is great but what’s missing in India is *constructive solution-oriented journalism*, which is a byproduct of intellectualism. Unless the underlying foundational problem is fixed through strong education, India will continue to produce dimwit journalists like Arundhati Roy.
Thanks for you comment. A quick question though, what is your link with The Diplomat?
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