Arundhati Roy's superb article on Maoists

More often than not, I disagree with much, if not most, of what Arundhati Roy says in her articles. Here, however, is a superb article by Roy on P. Chidambaram's "War on Maoists".

Notwithstanding whatever grounds on which one might criticize Roy, there are several things that she needs to be unconditionally respected for: her courage, her insistence on speaking truth to power, and her willingness to be contrarian.

And Roy is to be especially congratulated, in my view, for refusing to believe that the free market game is the only game in town, and that the Indian political and economic space must be made safe for the optimal functioning of the market at any cost, including uprooting and devastating the lives of million of Indian citizens. Especially at a time when more and more Indian intellectuals appear to be meekly parroting that view (including many who for several decades maintained the exact opposite political position!)

This essay is sure to send partisans of the India Shining and magic-of-markets schools into a tizzy, if not outright rage. That itself is reason to celebrate the essay and Roy.

On related matters, here, on Interjunction, is my interview with Sudeep Chakravarti author of Red Sun, an excellent book on Maoist movements in South Asia.