On 21st October 2010, thursday afternoon, with a group of Kashmiri separatist leaders, Maoists and like minded people their PR executive, Ms. Arundhati Roy appeared. In a conference which was peculiarly named, “Azaadi-The only way”. It was organised to advocate the release of political prisoners (Maoists). This conference was moderated by SAR Geelani. Those who don’t know Geelani sahab, should know that he was the chief accused in the Parliament attack case and escaped any penalty due to poor prosecution. Judge commented in dread, “it is clear that he has commited the crime but cannot be punished due to lack of proof.” Now he teaches at Zakir Hussain college in Delhi University while our soldiers killed due to him see their families suffering from heaven above.Unfortunately for them in this conference was a group of Kashmiri Pandits who vehemently protested against the entire facade and waved the tricolor. After sometime they were driven out on the direction of Geelani by Delhi Police. I cry at the irony… In the capital of our nation, the ruling party supports secessionists while patriotic people with Indian flags are driven out..forcefully..
Following are the excerpts of what they said: (Courtesy- Kanchan gupta)
Arundhati Roy: “Kashmir should get azadi from bhookhey-nangey Hindustan… India needs azadi from Kashmir and Kashmir from India. It is a good debate that has started. We must deepen this conversation and I am happy that young people are getting involved for this cause which is their future. The Indian Government is a hollow superpower and I disassociate from it… Earlier we used to talk about holding our high and now we prostrate ourselves before the US… Kashmiris have to decide whether they want to be with or get separated from bhookhey-nangey Hindustan where more than 830 million people live on only Rs 20 per day… In the early-1990s India opened two gates – one for the Babri Masjid and the other for the economy… We ushered in two kinds of totalitarianism: Hindu totalitarianism and the other economic totalitarianism… I am also aware of the stories about Kashmiri Pandits. I must tell you that Panun Kashmir is a false group…”
Syed Ali Shah Geelani: I urge Kashmiris to boycott interlocutors and reject the eight-point agenda of India for defusing the crisis in the Valley. The people of Kashmir are not against dialogue, but the talks should be on the core issue of azadi and Pakistan should also be involved in the discussions… The dialogue should not be bilateral. India, Pakistan and representatives of people of Jammu & Kashmir should sit together… They must take into account sacrifices made by Kashmiris during the last 63 years. Indian Government has to accept our five-point agenda, only then will we initiate talks with interlocutors. Otherwise, I ask Kashmiris to boycott them… We demand Indian security forces should be withdrawn from Jammu & Kashmir under UN supervision; political prisoners should be released; cases should be registered against the killers of 111 innocent people killed during the last four months… We want the right to self-determination… Today it is said that interlocutors will come and meet a host of people in the State for one year to understand what people want. This is a fraud. It is an attempt to delay everything hoping that poeple will forget… Kashmir is not an internal dispute but an international issue…
SAR Geelani added a clarification: “Kashmir does not only mean the Kashmir Valley but the entire Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Muzzafarabad, Baltistan and Mirpur…”
It was absolutely uncalled for and water is a tad above my head to tolerate now. Arundhati Roy’s comments and viewpoint have always been pathetic but now it has crossed all lines sanity. We cannot allow her to continue just in the name of ‘Freedom of Speech’. Constitutional freedom can not be used against the state at any cost. She once proudly stated that she is ‘seceding from India’ but still she does nothing but live in our nation and utter venom against it! If only we had a government with will-power Arundhati Roy would have been hauled up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, amended in 2004-05. The Act says, “Secession of a part of the territory of India from the Union includes the assertion of any claim to determine whether such part will remain a part of the territory of India.” Section 18 of the amended UAPA lays down that “Whoever conspires or attempts to commit, or advocates, abets, advises or incites knowingly facilitates the commission of, a terrorist act or any act preparatory to the commission of a terrorist act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.” Section 18B says, “Whoever recruits or causes to be recruited any person or persons for commission of a terrorist act shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.” Why, in the name of almighty, is the government not arresting her?
On other occasions she has criticized India for not letting the ideological sons of Mao to spread their violence. She feels the only way out is a revolution and not reformation in the system. “The concept of Indian democracy is the biggest publicity scam of this century. Holding elections every five years does not necessarily mean that our country enjoys democracy.” It is just because of Democracy which we exercise you can so much as utter nonsense against the system and still live unscathed. Try that in china. Your idea of democracy means giving a free hand to lawlessness to anybody and everybody who wants to fight against the system with a leftist ideology of-course!
Madam, we know many in our Hindustaan are ‘Bhookhey-Nangey’ but we vow to work and eradicate it unlike you who does nothing other than go to book-reading ceremonies and glorify the poverty. And why would you not! This poverty is your bread and butter! Any constructive criticism from your part is most welcome but we will not tolerate you tarnishing the image of our nation or demean her in anyway possible. Dare I ask what have you done for Kashmiris, or the poor about whom you advocate so openly? Apart from symbolic gestures, speaking in conventions and misguiding people and irritating people like me you do nothing miss. To be honest, i am sick of the ‘Padhe-likhe gawaar’ like you.
If a pen is mightier than a sword, she is more dangerous than gun-wielding terrorists. I urge the govt. of India to arrest Arundhati Roy at the earliest and set a precedent.