Arundhati Roy on the Rise of Fascism & Trump’s Embrace of India’s “Robber Barons”

democracynow.org - Extended conversation with award-winning author Arundhati Roy. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel “The God of Small Things.” In 2017, 20 years after the publication of her first novel, she published another work of fiction, just out in paperback, titled “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.” The novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize and nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The book has been hailed as “an elegy for a bulldozed world.” Arundhati Roy received the 2002 Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Prize, and her journalism and essays have been collected in several books, including “The End of Imagination,” “Field Notes on Democracy: Listening to Grasshoppers” and “Capitalism: A Ghost Story.”
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[@anjumshagufta2087]

She is right 100%

[@wendycrawford6885]

Arundathi is a legend .

[@Iamlatha]

Buahahahahahahahahaha..............................

[@ANKITPANDEY-vm8kx]

It's very difficult to logically and intellectually put down Arundhati Roy.. So millions of Straight Indian Men only abuse her.. Which speaks soo much about our so called educated Indian Youth.. BTW India doesn't deserve Arundhati's genius.

[@soniaal-dulayme4696]

This ugly world need mor brave people like Arundhati . Thank you Arundhati

[@blackdaylight]

Arundhati Roy is the best!!

[@ownerspride8305]

in bed?? sure.

[@prakashnarayan7426]

In telling atmost lies and selling her soul to the Pakistan isi..

[@amarjeetbhandari2304]

She criticized BJP too.Congress,left, USA,etc

[@aons5481]

She's a bitch

[@manohars848]

She is rather active in the social front is best to do negative role in indian movies.she doesn't need any extra makeup.she is good actor telling continuously lies without changing body language.

[@negoreniz6469]

Extremely extremely intelligent person. I wish our politician were that intelligent.

[@romlyn99]

I can understand the fear of technology. In Japan - they started fingerprinting and photographing all people who enter Japan - All new passports have biometric chips in them - Japan introduced a card called - My number and Resident card. You need ID cards to do everything in Japan. So they can track everything you do digitally... and everyone in Japan just peacefully accepts it. I think it is seen as acceptable in Japan because it is a country of rules and people trust the rules - and there is a system of honor and fairness - acting honorable and treating each other fairly. At least this is the appearance. But we don't really know how the government and companies are using the data. It could be in various ways. And if you have an openly corrupt system - like what Arundhati Roy explained - then the potential for abusing the data is enormous.

[@rafaelpena4269]

She sound's like a brave & powerful woman.

[@soumyadhaldhalsoumyaranjan]

ya she supports terrorists in india ya great woman

[@craigchristophel6079]

Eternity is our playing field. Love, Peace, Kindness, grace, charity, empathy, Justice, are our tools. Those who work to have power over other people will never have understanding... at best they will have lives of fear behind the walls they have created for themselves... at worst, they will have lives without enlightenment.

[@rykson161]

Are you overweight. …?

[@vak6599]

I'm very much proud of her. She is brilliant. Describing the sufferings of poor in India especially Dalits, higher castes do have the right to RAPE Dalits. It's really shocking.

[@Iamlatha]

M Pacifist, The hands of the Kashmir police, Border security Force, Central Reserve Police Force & National Security Guard were tied by the centre. They all are under the control of the central Govt whose only motive is to secure the votes of the muslims. I know it is unbelievable. But the then central Govt did not want to lose their muslim votes in Kashmir. This is the attitude of all the Govts that came to power after Independence including the present Govt which got our votes by promising that they will build a smart city for the Pandits in Kashmir & settle them with Army protection. But those are only election promises which nobody believes. The politicians are turning this country slowly into an Islamic one.

[@FloridaGiantsWereReal]

Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.

[@princepouncer2729]

Let's make lamb chops great again?

[@pedrozorza8575]

Democracy is more than voting. A functioning democracy would discuss what needs to be completed in order to get everyone fed!

[@FloridaGiantsWereReal]

Pedro Zorza. the problem with socialism is, eventually you run out of everyone else's money.

[@pedrozorza8575]

Lemmy, you go from democracy to socialism in one quick jump, The problem with capitalism is that the greedy can only take so much before the people act to stop it! Those who "want their fair share" and claim "which is all if it..." are sociopaths that need to be controlled by regulations!!

[@PITU-f7f]

good analogy

[@kundankumar777]

Everybody is bad, except her. She is the second coming of Mother Teresa. She even has Jedi powers to know about all of India despite living less than 10% of her life in India. Bravo. What a great lady.

[@MrMyashraf]

'Trump treated like a lunatic in white house' nice one

[@mukund369]

Great visionaries like arundhathi roy are needed for making a good india..since i am an indian know what is happening here in India..here bjp and modi government is suppoting hindhus and in which they only give importance to upper caste people.. so we dont need any hindus ,muslims etc as our leaders,we need good rationaly thinking human beings..all rss people should think who themselves are ..they should think that they are primarily human beings and even a nurse in the hospital in which they born, can change his or her community.. Pardon my English..

[@nasircooper9260]

Deep.

[@ohamatchhams]

It's not even "Micro-fascism", such behaviour are called statism on authoritarian system and now it's not just state, but it's collaboration with other bodies such like international institutions and private enterprises, USSR as supposedly Authoritarian Socialist/Communist nations even did such, true democracy as an Utopia is an fantasy and the closest forms of Libertine fulfillment are based on the allocation of powers, resources and utilization, which any systems can be abused to differing extent But still, India certainly has societal problems and the current digital information eras makes it clear that the transition of interests in powers are started to became more "democratic", but not necessarily to collective Civil authority of things

[@amarnathpisipati5357]

So what about SSN in usa and in canada?? wow these donot hav personal information at alll... this is rediculous

[@krisballard541]

Arundhati Roy is a brilliant woman. Roy opposed the war in Iraq, while many Americans were still supporting it.

[@irshadahadnajar1506]

We love you... From Indian occupied Kashmir

[@Iamlatha]

Go & settle in Pakistan. You'll enjoy.

[@deborahsavageshaffer6846]

I have always felt that rape is an execution crime.

[@markadams8041]

Deborah Savage Shaffer execution in the public square, how to stop it.

[@kundankumar777]

Deborah Savage Shaffer but the problem is leftists come running asking for human rights of the rapists. Leftists like Arundhati Roy.

[@91toinfinity]

A lot of women lie on men. So innocent people should die?

[@deborahsavageshaffer6846]

Of course there must always be multiple pieces of black and white evidence to execute.

[@deborahsavageshaffer6846]

Have you ever been raped Ganga Din? I have and by a black man whom I had never seen before. He broke into my house and woke me up in my bed with a knife on my face. It changed my life forever. I am no longer the same person. People like me are not the reason of ignorance and hangings. However, I will never be raped again. I am ready and prepared for anyone to try to harm me.

[@cypher1308]

Indian media should call American separatists in their discussions.

[@rubyr9613]

💕

[@engrzakiralam3470]

Yes a minor girl was raped in Pakistan. But the rapist was hanged till death 4 times. Now nobody can dare to even think of rape. Such Strong punishments are needed everywhere.

[@zanul2033]

Woooooow iron Lady of india ..... I m proud to be indian such grt lady we hve ... solute you maidam all from India......

[@danielortega2441]

Great journalism, focus more episodes on India. We lack such independent voices on this platform in India.

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

really brother, she is full of lies

[@di9645]

I must admit, I was radicalized by reading one of her books and wrote a screenplay for a film, which was loosely based on it. Then I came to India to do more research which made me throw my screenplay in a garbage. Why? Because now I was hearing the other side of the story. Suzanna Roy constantly attacks Hindus, and just how she brings casteism in conversation again and again, which is actually illegal and almost evaporated and exists only in extremely rural parts of India. Corporations have no cast. Corporation's religion is nothing but money! Lynching? It's just how many poor and uneducated folks deal with things in India. She conveniently highlights the lynchings of few people who were suspected of illegally exporting cow beef and they happened to be Muslim. The other day a 65 years old Hindu woman was lynched by the mob merely on a suspicion of being involved in child trafficking. She was innocent, but what good was that when she and later few others were lynched to death by an angry mob. It's a heinous crime and cannot be singled out as politicians and herself conveniently do. I and my friends almost got lynched because the car I was driving touched someone's bicycle. It was a wrong place and the wrong time. At the police-station, I was told by a cop that almost all drivers leave the scene and run to the police station, just to avoid lynching by the mob. RSS Doesn't see Indian Muslims how Hitler saw the Jews. She's misleading! Many RSS volunteers are Muslims. I don't disagree with everything she says, but most of what she rants is a complete bullshit.

[@anambukhari7338]

oh! You- "Caste system exists only in extremely rural part of India". Census 2011- "69% of Indians live in rural area". And for your knowledge, Caste system is also prevalent in urban areas in a diluted form. If you doubt, kindly ask a question to 10 upper castes(so called) families, are they ready to marry their daughters or sisters to the men who belongs to SC/ST?

[@di9645]

Mr. Bukhari, I said extremely rural areas, not rural. There is a difference and that is why the word is placed there. Also, yes, you're right that not all but most "upper-cast" families will most likely not marry into so-called "lower-cast" families. The reasons are not only blindly following the tradition, which was exploited at a certain point in history but also, lack of education, money and the living style are just some of the factors. For an example, my ancestors belong to the so-called "upper-cast" (brahmins) but, if I like a girl and she fits my lifestyle, I'll surely marry her despite her being from a different jati. And trust me, there are many people like me here. If a white girl doesn't want to marry me because I'm brown, should I blame the whole white race and live life complaining? In today's times, If the girl likes you enough, trust me that she'll marry you no matter what your race, caste or class is. Also, like in western system, most upper middle class or rich class families marry within their own class, should we blame them to do so? But they may very well be OK with you? Let alone the restrictions in Islam, which are sadly and widely practiced around the world. It's just where they fit the best, they choose! I mean I know what you're saying but things are moving forward and if we don't move forward with time, it only serves to the corrupt politicians who're busy reviving cast system and religious differences (like the British did) and pretend to represent the minorities?

[@abdulbasitshaikh637]

Babri demolition, subsequent 5000+ deaths in 1992 riots, 1500+ deaths in 2002 riots, 40+ in Muzaffarnagar riots, 30+ in gau-rakshak lynchings WEREN'T part of a garbage-worthy screenplay. They are statistically corroborated, REAL figures. You comparing routine lynchings by 'state-sponsored' cow-protection vigilantes to 'random' & 'isolated' crimes is indicative of your unwillingness to look truth in the eye. You literally just compared some random crowd getting angry at you for hitting a bicyclist to 'targeted' brutal murder of legal cow 'traders', poor villagers & even teenagers on ''suspicion'' that they consumed beef, all because they were Muslim.. What you describe happened to you was a lot of things but a lynching it was NOT. You see, you don't 'live' to tell the tale of a lynching. You get lynched. You WEREN'T. So please don't go around hailing that lame-ass story about your brush with an angry mob as a means to 'normalize' the severity of the crime of religiously-motivated lynching. What happened to that poor lady didn't happen because of her 'religious' affiliation, either; she wasn't targeted by an officially 'state-sponsored' mob that even the police can't seem to rein in. There.. THAT is the difference. Maybe if people didn't think like you, those innocent men would still be alive. As for the RSS.. In one of his much revered books, which continues to act as the 'guiding force' for the Sangh, RSS founder MS Golwalkar gushingly PRAISES Hitler for the Holocaust, suggesting that something of the kind be 'replicated in India', too, so as to preserve the 'racial purity' of the land. Casteism isn't a rare phenomenon, either. It's so 'deeply' ingrained in the psyche of the nation that many of its visible signs are considered 'normal'. How many Brahmins can you think of who would marry a Dalit? Let alone marry them, the Brahmins didn't even allow the 'alleged' ''lower-caste'' people to become priests until very recently and they still aren't allowed to, in many places. There's a kind of palpable disdain for them permeating the minds of most 'upper-caste' people. It's sickening. India has serious problems that need to be dealt with 'head on' & NOT by 'pretending' they aren't problems at all. India NEEDS people like Arundhati to speak truth to power.

[@abdulbasitshaikh637]

You are clearly either an escapee from a mental asylum OR you're being sexually abused by your parents. Whichever it is, seek immediate help. Professional help, that is. Don't start dating a cow or something. You're probably into that but that's no substitute for real therapy. Here's wishing you a speedy recovery!

[@songs97621]

She is exaggerating things 100 times. She is telling incidents that happened over 30 years as if it all happened after Modi came to power. Yes there were rapes but she is not saying about culprits bought to justice in most of the cases. She has absolutely no positive things to say. She conveys India is like a place where is no law an order at all. She is the world of literature and dreams only where one can magnify the things as per their whims and fantasies

[@abdulbasitshaikh637]

'30+' Muslim men & boys have been brutally lynched in the democracy of India over the last 3 years on mere 'suspicion' that they might have consumed beef by the government-sponsored cow-protection terrorists, the media has come to be represented by Arnab Goswami-like toadies who label anyone who doesn't see eye to eye with Modi as 'anti-national' traitors, politicians including MPs have asked for Muslims to 'go live in Pakistan', Modi chose Yogi Adityanath, a guy with a long history of racially motivated criminal acts, to be the Chief Minister of India's most populous state, the few journalists who remain true to their profession are being mercilessly persecuted in an organized effort to silence them for good, & none other than the Prime Minister himself follows the social media handles of the people who issue death & rape threats to journalists. You're the deluded one here.

[@songs97621]

In news there was a killing of Alimuddin and 11 people were sent to jail and I haven't seen any incident reported after this one. "Muslims were the target of 51% of violence centered on bovine issues over nearly eight years (2010 to 2017) and comprised 86% (24) of 28 Indians killed in 63 incidents, according to an IndiaSpend content analysis of the English media." You have exaggerated the magnitude.I am not justifying any killings, man or animal. Some areas are sensitive and it needs efforts from all group to respect the religious sentiments of others. We should accept and admit the bad things of our society but we should also appreciate the good things and good examples of communal harmony. We should understand that if 5% incidents are hate sponsored, there is 90% incidents that happen daily which are love sponsored. The question is what should we propagate to others? We are all equals and I don't believe Muslims are less patriotic than others. I am with you in your feelings when some body criticizes you on a communal basis. Talking only of one side, always playing victims is kind of spreading hate and this will invite criticism. I don't think Arundhati is doing a constructive journalism in this sense

[@akshaysingh1538]

Anrundhati, let's say, Modi, Trump and Robert Vadra....etc

[@ankurbaruah1206]

she is a problem not a solution.during the formation of upa govt that time minister chidabaram invited her to advisory committee to govt of india..she refused. instead of asking what are problems in india ask her .what is her solution????

[@andremariano7]

EVERYWHERE DOOM

[@raghunathsingh6958]

How she can she tell so many lies without showing any facts and proof and presenting indian as syria, is she is doing for promoting her book

[@amitary]

Journalists are not really the bright people but can comment/discuss anything under the sun.

[@madhavdas100]

I watch and listen to all sorts of programs on these KZbin channels. At the end of each video clip I have the opportunity of marrying all that I watched with what I have heard on multiple video clips. In some cases I feel that there has been wrongdoing while in many I have felt that things have been fair. I have generally felt positive about what is happening under Modi so I just move on to the next topic. Arundhati only talks but I have never seen her doing positive things. Maybe she has done a few things in her younger days. I sometimes worry that the Indian electorate may bring the non BJP parties back into power but I tell myself that the opposition will then have to change their ways too. I don't think the Congress can for instance win if they go about things like they did earlier.

[@ericrobinson7184]

Roy is Megatron...she inspires beyond belief.

[@ravikirange10983]

Just look at 13:00 interviewer putting the words and Arundhati..... she knows she is lying but just providing acceptance to the interviewer.... Her face tells it.

[@PajKar-is6zh]

Ok let me ask this which country do not have cases like this.

[@paharipant2]

Baap Re!!.....so much fear mongering about India by Arundhati Roy and a lot of half truths being casually thrown while the hosts like sitting ducks are lapping it all up. Yaar, you could counter it with arguments its not that difficult....dont just sit there saying "Hmm Hmm"

[@chhandasarkar6094]

Arundhati Roy is a brave lady who has the guts to speak the truth in this atmosphere of fear and threat (social-isolation in some cases to be murdered). It appears to me that most of the Indian left notes here are anti-Arunthati. Why so? Indian are in recent times told they are great and have glorious history, highly intelligent population, rich in culture so on so forth. But the reality is little diffrent than this propaganda. More than 75% of population are not in position to think so. They have to face all kinds of problems be it their caste-identify, no-connection with high and mighty, country's over all (Religion) unscientific temparament for any rational act to accomplished and finally the enemy No-1 -- POVERTY. All in all just 10% to 15% of the population are in such position to think that India is doing great. They can think Arundhati is earning huge by telling lies. That is a shame to think.

[@RahulKumar-ng2gh]

hahha, as a person who travels all across the country, I can tell you that she is full of lies

[@nupurdeshpande2889]

What truth?? Hindus don't even belong to an organized religion. Which God are they proselytizing about? Is it wrong for Hindus to think they will be discriminated for being Hindu? Our texts don't punish idolators Abrahamic texts do. Hindus have every right to be afraid that their homeland is getting chopped away to Christians and Muslims. She is a liar.

[@katuri1234]

Why nobody bothered to ask about SSN in US.Withdraw the ssn and see the chaos. Stop complaining about everything and anything.

[@soumyadhaldhalsoumyaranjan]

great work by government. now give these urban naxals life imprisonment, if u want votes. arrest arundhati roy too

[@mannatabhinanth]

INDIANS is not fools to believe so-called secular Arundhati Roy’s new fabricated story’s. But the storyline may be new to the world media. Any one remember The Snack Poem Suits this lady.

[@krupanshsoni1458]

These pulp fiction artists should not call them jounalists

[@shri8131]

Demonetization is successful in India.

[@mtarkes]

Its not just her hair that's crazy its also the organ beneath it.

[@naren2k6]

Here is the definition of a Fascist. fascist is a follower of a political philosophy characterized by authoritarian views and a strong central government - and no tolerance for opposing opinions. Fascist traces to the Italian word fascio, meaning "group, bundle." Under the fascist rule, the emphasis is on the group - the nation - with few individual rights. How can anyone in their right mind call the Indian Government Fascist, the mear fact you can criticise them without dire consequences tells you the BJP are not Fascists. The sad fact is people like Arundhati Roy simply dish out these type of words and the uneducated public grasps onto to it not knowing fully the exact meaning and if it really applies or not. Its completely incorrect to call the Narendra Modi government fascists simply because you oppose their views and try your best to demonize them, this is the only way Leftists further their agenda through radical means with lies and deception and half-truths, if one was to tear apart their lies the real truth emerges and its quite the opposite. In reality, if you look at the definition of a Fascist which is characterized by Authoritarian Views, the Leftists fit this perfectly, Leftist have no tolerance for Opposing views or opinions, it's their way or the highway. So who are the real Fascists, the Leftists? People like Arundhati Roy are admitted anti-nationals and should proudly give up their Indian citizenship and never go back to exploit India's hospitality and goodwill, these people are a disgrace to call themselves Indians, or Americans for that matter.

[@naren2k6]

Leftists are famous for half-truths, and being radicals aren't they, they use fear of the unknown, they never provide proof or citations on anything they talk about or write about, they know their audience who tend to be vicious and violent? Arundhati Roy loves to be provocative for one reason to make money and sell her books, what better way than to cause sensationalism. This program Democracy Now the war and peace report borders on communist ideology, these guys have so Left it is not funny.

[@shri8131]

She is telling lies about India and current Government.

[@abhijitkh09]

Let me introduce this dying heart liberal Arundhati Roy who has build a luxurious villa on encroached land reserved for local traditionally disadvantaged tribal population. Irony bites dust here.

[@jaycon3460]

Snowden is Gandhi now?

[@uknowmotdy]

She is as relevant as the mop on a stick 😜 passed her prime lmao😂😂😂

[@sanketponia9570]

Arundhati Roy - a woman who's voice against power. Courage personified. But dont be fooled. Her arguments are contradiction. Her journalism is as blinded as that of celebrated Arnab Goswami. And her roots as deep in the extremist fundamentalism of broken socialism as that of RSS in hindutva ideology. Everybody has there agendas. Its just a question of time, who gets to be a sucker ? She had her time. Others are having it now. The sheep becomes wolves. The wolves get old to make way for lion. Between she was never a sheep !

[@harl4227]

Europe need a leader like modi a Christian ethnic nationalist

[@vbutil]

Alex jones of india

[@naren2k6]

Arundhati Roy is a hypocrite, her host should ask her where she lives, in one of those exact condo's she talks about evicting 1000's or people to build these condos. Arundhati Roy talks like she lives on the streets and sidewalks of big India cities, she lives in a multi Million dollar condo in New Delhi like a queen, she doesn't live in the 1000's of India village, she is a true Hypocrite. Arundhati Roy tells half-truths, if anyone listens to her with doing proper research will think she is telling the 100% truth, she hesitates the least to deceive and lie.

[@DrJG9]

Re Ms Roy spouting venom:- It's easy to do this sort of comments in West against India, and be not just popular, but more importantly, be thought of as someone reasonable, because this fits in with the general prejudices against India in general and against non abrahmic thinking in particular - and those brought up in India in the Macaulay education system, with expensive schools turning out brown sahibs, find it cheaper to do so, than actually observe realities of India, or to think, about anything at all; their thinking and opinions are off the rack thinking and opinions, or at best copies of bestseller models established long enough to be in current fashion. Courage comes in when one educates the ignorant, rather than give chocolates to the toddlers brought up with silver spoons, for popularity and for avoiding the screaming. Ms Roy lacks such courage, of actual observation and thinking, rather than spewing venom to suit her paymasters.

[@basileusmegas7667]

She should become empress of india...

[@shipaskof8371]

Snowden wrapped in th flag and then cringe trump kissing n wrapping himself in it at one rally. Aaahh

[@raghunathsingh6958]

You are not an indian go and join isi and work for them

[@prasadj8676]

cheap propaganda.

[@sanjivtandon24]

ARUNDHATI ROY SHOULD FEEL ASHAMED OF WHAT EVER LIES SHE IS STATING.