Here's a snippet from an interview with Arundhati Roy:
Interviewer: Given the relentlessness of the onslaught of globalisation,
would you say your views paint you into a small corner?
Roy: I'd say our views paint us out of the small corner - the small, rich,
glittering, influential corner. The corner with 'the voice'. The corner
that owns the guns and bombs and money and the media. I'd say our views cast us onto a vast, choppy, dark dangerous ocean where most of the world's people float precariously. And from having drifted there a while, I'd say the mood is turning ugly. Go to Kalinganagar, Raygada,Chhattisgarh - you'll see there's something akin to civil war brewing there. The adivasis of Kalinganagar have blocked the main highway to Paradip Port since January.
There are districts in Chattisgarh which the Maoists control and the
administration can't reach. I'm not saying that there will be a
beautiful political revolution when the poor take over the State, I'm
saying we could, as a society be convulsed with all kinds of violence.
Criminal, lumpen, political, mercenary - the kind that has broken
across so much of Africa. So it really is in the enlightened self-interest of
those jitter-bugging in the glittering corner to sit up and pay heed.
11 comments:
Pay heed to what?
Sikhi -- you're doing the analytical nitpicking thing again and missing the point !!!
Best,
Vijay
I'm not nitpicking. I am making a very substantive point. :)
I recently met a rich businessman from Poland. He riled against globalization a lot, because his margins are coming under pressure. And his specific target was China. When both rich European businessmen and Indian leaders of proles are opposed to globalization, it's time you sit up and take notice.
In fact, it is public knowledge that the World Social Forum meets are part-funded by some big corporates. What irony! Ms Roy was star attraction at WSF Mumbai.
Moreover, guess what would happen if the anti-globalization noises really begin to hurt China's business interests? Within no time you'll see our comrades sing an altogether new tune.
Well, actually, let me take that back. It won't be a radically new tune. A Roy and others will then tell you that globalization is bad for India, but good for China!!! (Just as nukes are).
Meanwhile Vijay, pl take a look at this:
http://www.friendsoftibet.org/save/
Our Red freinds' opposition to globalization but love of imports from China -- CPIM is for barrierless trade between ndia and China; guess who will that benefit?? -- reminds me of stuff we read in history books long ago.
India has traditionally been a world leader in textiles business. In fact, the Brits learned lots of stuff from Indians in textile manufacturing. Then, Indian produce -- comming typically from small looms owned by families of asrtisans -- was heavily taxed while cheap imports from the big mills of Manchester began to flood the Indian market. Indian textile business was wiped out.
During the Independence movement Gandhiji organized a boycott of British goods. Imported goods, including garments, were piled up on streets and burnt. Indian communists opposed the move. Reason? "Solidarity' with mill workers of Manchester!!
Okay, to be frank, I don't see any coherent argument in all that you've written. However the link to the Save Tibet/Hindu stuff was fascinating. I am a **huge** fan of the Hindu. However I've learnt that most people/organizations have blind spots, and (from a quick look at the webpage, hope to read it more carefully later), China/Tibet seems to be one of those for the Hindu. I will look at their China coverage with more skepticism from now. Also I don't recall reading any substantial coverage of the Tibet struggle in the Hindu, which seems to support the thesis.
To respond to some of your points Sikhi -- neother Arundhati Roy (nor, though less relevant, me!) are communists in the conventional sense of the word ie card-carrying or otherwise sympathizers of the Communist party or any of its variations. I think a comprehensive (welcome) trend is not to get hung up on ideology but be practical ie. recognize the problems : (poverty, environmnetal damage, wars), and look for possible solutions including free-market-based ones where felt appropriate.
So a lot of what you are saying does not apply. For eg. I winced when I saw Prakash Karat's headline in one of the mags recently: " How can a government we support partner with the US ? We will rethink support to the UPA"
Sudheesh -- aren't you going to join in ?!
Vijay
I totally agree with Sikhi on the huge bias "The Hindu" has in most contexts - and interestingly also so against the majority community - much contrary to what its name would make one assume.
But then I guess the latter bias is a common to all media of all kinds in India today.
However, inspite of it all, I spent eight years in Chennai living on a daily diet of it, hating it as much - much for the lack of any other choice.
And yeah... did you know the Communist Party actually sided with China during the Sino-Indian wars in 1960s...and protested in Parliament demanding that Nehru make his forces surrender. Red patriotism...
They have a huge issue if even a pole is uprooted in India to make way for any development/infrastructure project - no qualms about thousands of villages and towns swiped clean by their comrades in China to make the new China...
Oooops... too much to bother you with during your holiday... enjoy!
-Bhan
I am all at sea with the extent of your dislike of the Hindu. This (along with the Indian Express) are pretty much the only general readership papers with any degree of intellectuality. The Hindu in particular is the only one that seems to have the conscience to rub your nose in the unpleasant things that go on (like farmer suicides) instead of sticking to a diet of IT gung-ho and celebrity pinups like that amazing newspaper, the Times of India. I am willing to forgive the Hindu a *lot* for its basic commitment to social welfare and covering the important stories.
The Communist party (parties) are a dubious crowd in many ways, but you paint too strong a picture of them. Surely you are aware of all the pragmatic pro-business stuff that Buddhadeb for example is doing in Bengal ?
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