9.3.08

Reporting rubbish

Talk of sensationalism and here is a headline: “When Arundhati Had to Flee”. Nothing in the report conveys it.

I am not interested in commenting on the subject of the debate Fascism and Terrorism: Two Sides of the Same Coin. Instead, I will reproduce the AR relevant parts:

- Arundhati Roy was in the hall but she did not go to the dais. She sat among the audience. It would emerge later that she had not been warned that there were going to be politicians. “I don’t share stage with politicians. I am ok here,” Roy whispered to the Urdu Press Club’s general secretary Tariq Faizi.

- Meanwhile Roy, who by now had moved to a sequined sofa from the bare plastic chair in the back row, appeared restless. She wanted to leave. But then she was offered the mike. “My Hindi is bad. Can I speak in English?” asked the celebrated writer who was clad in a sleeveless kurti. A shawl was wrapped around her thin shoulders. Speaking in broken Hindi, generously interspersed with flawless English, Roy confessed, “I spoke on the same subject in Turkey recently.”

- She kept her speech on Muslim persecution short. At the same venue a week earlier, Roy, along with Girish Karnad and many other intellectuals, had battled for Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen. Now seated among a predominantly Muslim crowd, Roy described Taslima differently—“She is not a great writer. Don’t waste your energy on her.”

- The presence of VHP’s Surendra Jain and journalist Manoj Raghuvanshi did not comfort her. She knew they would not stomach her diatribe against the “fascists”. She clearly wanted to leave, but was persuaded to hang around for some more time. So she stayed and heard Raghuvanshi slam “pseudo-secularists”.

- The discussion was no longer about fascism and terrorism. And Arundhati Roy had long left the hall.

Just some queries:

1.Why was Arundhati Roy’s name used in the headline?

2. Does anyone realise the irony of this: She kept her speech on Muslim persecution short. At the same venue a week earlier, Roy, along with Girish Karnad and many other intellectuals, had battled for Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen. Now seated among a predominantly Muslim crowd, Roy described Taslima differently—“She is not a great writer. Don’t waste your energy on her”?

3. Is wanting to leave the same as having to flee?

7 comments:

  1. Roy's different description of Taslima before a predominantly muslim crowd is typical liberal behaviour in India.They are dead scared of inviting the wrath of the muslim thugs on themselves.Guarding their liberal image without getting hurt is their aim.

    Btw,a recent exhibition is chennai on Aurangzeb was withdrawn becoz of 'objections' of some muslims.Where are the champions of the freedom of expression now?

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  2. FV, I completely agree. I was conned into reading this today.

    The heading was deceitful.

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  3. MM:

    Now, do you understand? I have the SAME opinion of Taslima wherever I am...and I promise to honour it?

    Re. the Aurangzeb exhibition, I believe the organisation that had put it up was portraying his violent philosophy. If that is the case, I don't think just Muslims, but anyone should stop it. We are living in times when Mughal history is causing a rift and battling with Hindutva forces.

    I choose sensitivity over freedom of expression if it causes unrest.

    I would be happy if Hindus protested everytime Zaki Naik spoke...

    Manzoor:

    You should sue the paper for the waste of time!

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  4. " but anyone should stop it. We are living in times when Mughal history is causing a rift and battling with Hindutva forces."

    The muslims protesting against the exhibtion were not doing so as it was 'creating rift' with the Hindus,rather because it tried to expose the truth about their idol,Aurangzeb.But then,liberals have a different scale to measure muslim thuggery..


    "I would be happy if Hindus protested everytime Zaki Naik spoke..."

    That creature is supposedly a liberal muslim and I have seen cheif justices,media people attending his blabberings without anything written against him in the media.Think of it:a regressive mullah goes around delivering lectures denigrating other religions but not a word agaisnt him .On the otherhand Baba Ramdev is a pet hate for the media.

    "I have the SAME opinion of Taslima wherever I am"

    Which is not very different from the opinion of the muslim thug on the street.Show me a muslim who stands up for this courageous lady who wrote about the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.

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  5. FV:

    You don't need to reply to everything that is said here. This anecdote should clarify it further--

    When Al Smith was running for governor of New York, he once encountered a heckler who interrupted the beginning of his speech by shouting, "Tell 'em all you know Al. It won't take long." Smith replied, "I'll tell them all we both know. It won't take any longer."

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  6. PS:

    I sometimes marvel at unidimensional POVs...they are so easy to possess.

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  7. Why does not Roy spend some time writing books again?

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