An exhibition at the National Archives of India in 2022 brought to light historical documents that presented a nuanced picture of Mahatma Gandhi’s decision to return his British medals, clarifying that the primary impetus was the Khilafat Movement and not solely the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as is commonly believed.
The original letter, dated 2 August 1920, written by Gandhi to the then Viceroy Lord Chelmsford, is part of the ‘Saga of Freedom: Known and Lesser-known Struggles’ exhibition. In it, Gandhi states his reasons for returning the prestigious Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal, the Zulu War Medal, and the Boer War Medal.
The communication reveals that the act was a direct part of the “scheme of non-cooperation inaugurated today in connection with the Khilafat movement.” Gandhi expressed his inability to wear the honours “with an easy conscience, so long as my Mussalman countrymen have to labour under a wrong done to their religious sentiment.”
He strongly criticised the Imperial Government, accusing it of acting in the Khilafat matter in an “unscrupulous, immoral and unjust manner.” The Khilafat Movement was a pan-Islamic protest against the dismantling of the Ottoman Caliphate by the Allied powers after World War I.
We were taught in school that Mahatma Gandhi returned his Kaiser-i-Hind medal awarded by the British to protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The reality is somewhat different. In his letter of August 1920 to Viceroy Chelmford, Gandhiji wrote that he returned this and… pic.twitter.com/JtuiHCx70y
While the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 1919, where British troops gunned down hundreds of unarmed Indians, was a significant factor in the growing discontent, the archival evidence shows it was an “additional cause for grave dissatisfaction” in Gandhi’s decision, not the primary one. The timeline supports this, with the medal return occurring over a year after the massacre.
Gandhi also used the letter to condemn the British response to the Punjab disturbances, holding Lieutenant Governor Sir Michael O’Dwyer’s policy “primarily responsible for infuriating the mob at Amritsar.” He did, however, acknowledge the “unpardonable” mob excesses, including the “murder of five innocent Englishmen and the cowardly assault on Miss Sherwood.”
The exhibition also features Rabindranath Tagore’s 1919 letter renouncing his knighthood in direct protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, drawing a parallel yet distinct form of intellectual dissent against colonial rule.
The recent shoe-throwing incident at Chief Justice of India Justice Gavai has once again exposed the glaring double standards in Indian journalism, particularly embodied by senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. His contrasting reactions to similar incidents separated by sixteen years reveal a pattern of selective outrage that aligns perfectly with political narratives rather than journalistic principles.
Shoe Throwing Attempt
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R. Gavai on 6 October 2025 faced an attempted shoe-hurling incident in court but decided not to take any action against the lawyer involved, instead directing officials to “just ignore” the episode.
Reportedly, after security personnel intervened and escorted the lawyer out of the courtroom, officials sought the CJI’s instructions on the future course of action. “Just ignore,” the CJI told them, asking that the lawyer be warned and let go. The lawyer was later identified as Rakesh Kishore.
The dramatic scene unfolded during the mentioning of cases before the CJI’s Bench, when Kishore suddenly approached the dais and tried to take off his shoe. As he was being taken away, he was heard shouting: “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge (We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan).”
The incident comes in the wake of a recent controversy over the CJI’s reported remarks during a hearing last month, when a Bench of CJI Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran declined to entertain a plea filed by one Rakesh Dalal. Dalal had sought directions to restore a seven-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple, part of the Khajuraho group of monuments in Madhya Pradesh.
The petitioner had argued that the idol was mutilated during Mughal invasions and that authorities had failed to restore it despite repeated representations. The court held that the issue fell within the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and not the judiciary. During the hearing, the CJI reportedly told the petitioner’s lawyer: “Go ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now. It’s an archaeological site and ASI needs to give permission etc. Sorry.”
Rajdeep Sardesai’s Two Faces
Here’s how Rajdeep reacted to the two instances of shoe hurling.
In 2009, when a Sikh journalist named Jarnail Singh hurled a shoe at then Home Minister P. Chidambaram in protest against the Congress government’s handling of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Sardesai’s response was one of empathy. He wrote, “Jarnail is a remarkably calm man. Something snapped in him the day he threw the shoe. Lost his job, but not his self-esteem.”
The tone was understanding, even sympathetic – a portrayal of moral outrage as human and perhaps justified.
Fast forward to 2025. When a lawyer reportedly attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India Justice Gavai, claiming he would not tolerate “anti-Sanatan” remarks, Sardesai’s tone was the polar opposite. “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE behaviour,” he declared. He condemned the act as a symptom of “a culture of caste hatred and religious intolerance being normalised.”
So What Changed?
The difference in tone is striking. In one case, defiance was framed as a moment of personal conviction; in the other, it was branded as proof of religious extremism. Both men committed the same act – throwing a shoe at a powerful public figure – one attempted to throw. Yet one was treated as a man pushed to the edge by injustice, and the other as a dangerous emblem of intolerance.
What changed between 2009 and 2025? Not the act, but the political and ideological context surrounding it. Sardesai’s moral lens seems to shift with the target and the narrative. When the establishment was Congress-led and the protest came from a minority community, it was treated with empathy. When the establishment is judicial and the protest draws from a Hindu civilizational sentiment, it becomes “deeply worrying.”
Such selective outrage undermines journalistic credibility. The role of the press is not to rationalize one act of violence while condemning another, but to apply a consistent moral standard. The inconsistency here does not merely reflect bias; it shapes how society perceives dissent and legitimacy.
If shoe-throwing is wrong, and it should be, it is wrong regardless of the protester’s faith or the ideology invoked. A journalist’s credibility rests on that consistency.
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The Koyambedu all-women police have arrested eight individuals, including a supporting actor and a local DMK functionary, for their alleged involvement in a sex trafficking ring that exploited a 15-year-old schoolgirl. The case, which began with a rescue operation in August, has expanded to reveal a network that preyed on the vulnerable minor.
The victim, a Class IX student, was left orphaned after her father’s death and abandoned by her mother who remarried and moved away. She was taken in by her mother’s friend, Poongodi, a dancer residing in K.K. Nagar, who allegedly exploited the girl’s precarious situation.
According to police, Poongodi and her niece, Aishwarya, lured the girl into prostitution with promises of money, mobile phones, and a comfortable lifestyle. The minor was subsequently introduced to clients by Bharathi Kannan (63), a real estate businessman and supporting actor known for Tamil films “Pattaya Kelappu” and “Peya Kaanom.”
The investigation reveals that the accused, including DMK functionary Ramesh (40) – a former Panchayat Council president – and Mahendran, an employee of a private construction firm, sexually assaulted the girl at a private lodge in Koyambedu. She was allegedly moved between locations and further enticed with offers of iPhones, cash, and clothes.
The case came to light on August 22 when police, acting on a tip-off, raided a luxury hotel on Koyambedu’s 100-Feet Road and rescued the girl. Initial arrests included three individuals from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh: A. Anjali (31), N. Nagamma (45) – a supporting actress in the Telugu film industry – and Nagaraj (46).
“The two absconding accused, Bharathi Kannan and Ramesh, were arrested after intensive investigation,” a police official stated. “We are examining mobile phone records to identify other individuals involved in this racket.”
All eight accused have been remanded in judicial custody and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The minor has been moved to a government shelter home for girls and women in Mylapore as police continue their investigation into the trafficking network.
DMK ally Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan on 6 October 2025 visited the site of the stampede at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur, meeting families of the victims. Forty-one people were killed and over 50 injured in the September 27 incident, marking one of the worst political tragedies in recent Indian history.
What he did yesterday was plainly simp for the DMK government and most importantly – Senthil Balaji.
Specifically praising former DMK Minister for Electricity, Prohibition & Excise and Aravakurichi MLA Senthil Balaji who was arrested dramatically in June 2023 in connection with a money laundering case for which he is out on bail, DMK stooge Kamal Haasan said, “We have to thank Balaji. Rather than asking why he came, it’s more important to be happy that he came (to the site of tragedy). This is his area, his house, his town, his people, who else will come looking here if not for him? Don’t ask questions like that. It doesn’t depend on the party.”
He added, “For now, I would like to thank Balaji for arriving on time and saving lives.”
He also said, “We must ensure this doesn’t repeat and we were discussing this even in the car on our way about what we can do to prevent this from happening again.”
When asked about who should take responsibility, he said, “We all should. Why point to others for blaming responsibility, we must take responsibility. He is responsible (pointing to Senthil Balaji). He has done his duty to the best of his ability. Don’t thank him for that, don’t interrupt him, let him do what he does.”
But did you know, that at a time when MNM positioned itself as a remedy for the kind of politics DMK does, Kamal Haasan has spoken against the same Senthil Balaji who he simped for at Karur.
A video clipping of what both have to say about each other has made its way back on to the social media platforms. In the video, Kamal is seen saying (speaking about Senthil Balaji), “He said, you go with your vehicle at 11 o clock, if anyone, any official stops you, I will ensure he will ensure he is not there – so does he mean he will fire him from his job or is he talking about killing him? However you look at it, you are a criminal. Your words expose your crimes.”
Senthil Balaji also had some nice things to say about Kamal Haasan. Responding to Haasan’s allegations, he said, “A half-baked like Kamal Haasan should speak knowing what he is saying. Ask Kamal Hassan’s candidate to speak. Ask that candidate to speak courageously. BJP and ADMK are behind this. Ask Kamal Haasan, BJP, ADMK’s candidates to come and speak at Sevanthipalayam, we will not allow to mine sand.”
BJP leader K. Annamalai took a sharp dig at actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and DMK ally Kamal Haasan over his visit to the Karur stampede site, accusing him of siding with the ruling DMK and speaking in defence of the administration.
He said, “I am finally happy Kamal Hassan ji as a politician, as a leader of the Makkal Needhi Maiam has never found time to visit Karur, over the last many many years. Now suddenly he has found time to visit Karur – today he has gone so I am happy that he visited Karur. Now we all know what he would have spoken at Karur. We have also seen.”
“Kamal Haasan has sold his soul a long time back for one Rajya Sabha seat,” Annamalai said, referring to Haasan’s recent nomination to the Upper House. “Whatever Kamal Haasan speaks, people of Tamil Nadu are not going to take him seriously. Going to Karur and saying the administration is not at fault, who will accept that?” he added.
On 6 October 2025, Haasan visited the site of the September 27 stampede in Karur that left 41 people dead and over 50 injured during a rally organised by actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay. Calling it a tragedy, Haasan said the organisers must take responsibility instead of shifting blame. “We came here to ensure justice and express condolences,” he said, adding that it was not the time for political blame games.
He also defended the police, saying they had done their duty and should not be criticised. Haasan reserved particular praise for the Chief Minister’s response to the crisis. “A dignified politician should show all the qualities of leadership and how to conduct things. That has been shown, and we are proud of it,” he said.
Annamalai criticised the MNM chief for what he described as a pattern of favouring the DMK government. “Kamal Haasan is a fine actor, no doubt. But when it comes to politics, whatever he says is one-sided and meant to favour DMK, even on an issue like Karur,” he said.
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: On actor and MNM chief Kamal Haasan’s to Karur stampede site today, BJP leader K. Annamalai says, “…Kamal Haasan has sold his soul long time back for one Rajya Sabha seat. Post that, whatever Kamal Haasan speaks, people of Tamil Nadu are not going… pic.twitter.com/jpumkIXY3J
Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Inspector General of Police Asra Garg has been constituted to probe the incident, following directions from the Madras High Court. The court also pulled up TVK leader Vijay for leaving the venue soon after the stampede and temporarily banned public rallies on highways until a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is framed.
State Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian spent Sunday hosting a special event for orphaned and single-parent children under the Tamil Nadu government’s Anbu Karangal scheme, but the outing has drawn attention for its political and cinematic overtones.
The Minister, who represents Saidapet, organised a day-long programme where nearly 400 children identified under the Chief Minister’s Anbu Karangal initiative were brought together for entertainment and welfare activities. The initiative, launched by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin provides monthly financial assistance to children who have lost one or both parents.
According to the Health Department, 399 children, including 68 who lost both parents and 331 with a single parent, had been identified for aid in the Saidapet outreach camp. On Sunday morning, the children assembled at the Minister’s office, where they were given breakfast before being taken to a local theatre for a screening of Idli Kadai, a newly released family drama featuring actor Dhanush.
The film, notably, was released by Inbanidhi Stalin, son of Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin, further reinforcing the DMK’s growing crossover between political and film promotion.
Following the movie, the Minister took the children to a textile showroom in T. Nagar, where they were allowed to select clothes of their choice, an activity that was widely photographed and circulated on social media. Actor Dhanush reportedly called the Minister later in the day to express appreciation for the gesture, a development promptly highlighted in official press releases.
While the outreach effort has been framed as a welfare measure under Anbu Karangal, critics noted that the event doubled as an indirect promotion for Idli Kadai, a film released under the banner associated with the ruling family. With multiple ministers publicly linking welfare outreach to cinema associated with the Stalins, the line between governance and political branding appears increasingly blurred.
DMK ally Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan on 6 October 2025 visited the site of the stampede at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur, meeting families of the victims. Forty-one people were killed and over 50 injured in the September 27 incident, marking one of the worst political tragedies in recent Indian history.
Speaking to the press, Haasan emphasized the need for humanity over politics. Haasan reserved particular praise for the Chief Minister’s response to the crisis. “A dignified politician should show all the qualities of leadership and how to conduct things. That has been shown, and we are proud of it,” he said.
Regarding accusations of a security lapse, he said: “This would have become a bigger tragedy had permission been granted for some other place. We were able to stop it here itself. I am happy about that. Had there been a security lapse and they all fell into the river, what situation would it have been? All opposition parties say this is due to security lapse; they accuse that way. I am a centrist and a Tamil Nadu citizen, what happened is clear to everyone.”
Specifically praising former DMK Minister for Electricity, Prohibition & Excise and Aravakurichi MLA Senthil Balaji who was arrested dramatically in June 2023 in connection with a money laundering case for which he is out on bail, DMK stooge Kamal Haasan said, “We have to thank Balaji. Rather than asking why he came, it’s more important to be happy that he came (to the site of tragedy). This is his area, his house, his town, his people, who else will come looking here if not for him? Don’t ask questions like that. It doesn’t depend on the party.”
He added, “For now, I would like to thank Balaji for arriving on time and saving lives.”
He also said, “We must ensure this doesn’t repeat and we were discussing this even in the car on our way about what we can do to prevent this from happening again.”
When asked about who should take responsibility, he said, “We all should. Why point to others for blaming responsibility, we must take responsibility. He is responsible (pointing to Senthil Balaji). He has done his duty to the best of his ability. Don’t thank him for that, don’t interrupt him, let him do what he does.”
DMK ally Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan on 6 October 2025 visited the site of the stampede at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur, meeting families of the victims. Forty-one people were killed and over 50 injured in the September 27 incident, marking one of the worst political tragedies in recent Indian history.
Speaking to the press, Haasan emphasized the need for humanity over politics.
He also praised journalists for their role in exposing facts: “Especially journalists, because you exposed this way, the truths have started coming out little by little. In this time period, everyone is questioning who is truth. There is no single truth; from many perspectives, it appears differently. Both courts and police are forced to uncover the truth in this time. Police should be thanked, not blamed. I am not like this when I came here.”
Haasan reserved particular praise for the Chief Minister’s response to the crisis. “A dignified politician should show all the qualities of leadership and how to conduct things. That has been shown, and we are proud of it,” he said.
Haasan stressed that authorities were performing their duty and called for public support: “Because they are doing their duty. So please thank all of you who stood with this life situation until now. Please let them do their work. Sir, you have seen lights too. Have you seen which place is better? Sir, no place is good for this death.”
Regarding accusations of a security lapse, he said: “This would have become a bigger tragedy had permission been granted for some other place. We were able to stop it here itself. I am happy about that. Had there been a security lapse and they all fell into the river, what situation would it have been? All opposition parties say this is due to security lapse; they accuse that way. I am a centrist and a Tamil Nadu citizen, what happened is clear to everyone.”
Haasan urged people to avoid taking sides: “Don’t take sides in this. If you take sides, take the side of the public.”
Speaking again to the press after meeting a family, he called for prioritizing humanity and justice over political debate: “It is ‘time to apologise, time to accept mistake.’ I’ve come to express condolences to the victims of Karur tragedy. Don’t see this tragedy as numbers. Look at them as mothers, sisters and elderly. The investigation is underway. The matter is sub-judice, it not right to comment on it now. I’m a Centrist and a citizen of Tamil Nadu. Let’s not take sides in this issue. If we are to take sides, let’s take the people’s side. Chief Minister MK Stalin displayed exemplary leadership qualities and we should thank him for that. Any government will take responsibility. But the matter is now sub judice. Do not keep blaming somebody else.”
Haasan made an appeal for preventive measures, stating, “This should be a precedent for the nation and for Tamil Nadu to shine again.” He emphasized the need for collective action across party lines, suggesting, “The Chief Minister should raise this with all parties so that this does not happen again. All parties must have strict laws and meet to discuss forward-looking solutions.”
Haasan described the ongoing legal proceedings: “While Vijay, whose maiden statewide tour ended in disaster in its third week, is yet to visit the bereaved families.”
Two TVK functionaries – including district secretary Mathiyazhagan – have been arrested, while senior leaders Bussy Anand (General Secretary) and Nirmal Kumar (Deputy General Secretary) remain on the run after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court denied them anticipatory bail. The three, along with unnamed others, have been booked on serious charges including attempt to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and endangering public safety.
The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Inspector General of Police Asra Garg and a single-member inquiry commission headed by retired judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan. Chief Minister MK Stalin has assured that a model guideline for political rallies and public gatherings will be framed based on the commission’s findings.
Haasan concluded by emphasizing empathy and responsible leadership: “It is pointless to give such advice now. He must do what a leader must do. That is my request. Giving advice is your prerogative. People are blaming it on DMK or blaming Senthil Balaji. No, no, look here—the one blaming is standing right here. Others blaming are asking questions. You should ask them, not us. I have not come to discuss politics here. I will come next month to discuss politics. Let them rest in peace. They must try to forget the incident. Whenever someone asks how many died, I cry for them. When I cry once, I feel better. Please allow me that.”
Haasan urged unity and patience while investigations continue: “Vijay’s party workers have gone missing; police have been searching for them. I said this earlier; it is not time to quarrel now. The law is in place. Questions have been asked, SIT has come and is investigating with senior police officers. I trust both you and I to conduct the inquiry deeply, firmly, and honestly.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on 28 September 2025, delivered a firm rebuttal to a ceasefire proposal from Maoist insurgents, making it clear that the government would not negotiate but welcomed those who choose to surrender. Speaking at the valedictory session of the seminar ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat: Ending Red Terror Under Modi’s Leadership’, he referred to a letter from the banned CPI (Maoist) requesting a one-month ceasefire in exchange for surrender. Shah dismissed the demand: “If you want to surrender, there is no need for a ceasefire. Lay down your arms, not a single bullet will be fired.”
He outlined a two-pronged approach: rehabilitation for those renouncing violence, and a firm military response for those continuing attacks. “Bullets must be answered with bullets,” he warned, emphasizing protection of civilians.
Shah also criticized ideological and legal supporters of Naxalism, including leftist parties, activists, and NGOs, questioning their concern for tribal victims. “Have all the people who write these lengthy articles…ever written an article for the tribal victims?”
Reiterating the government’s goal of a Naxal-free India by 31 March 2026, Shah stressed that ending the armed movement alone is insufficient; ideological support fueling Naxalism must also be addressed. “Until Indian society understands this theory… the fight against Naxalism will not end,” he said, highlighting the importance of confronting both armed and ideological challenges to secure lasting peace.
But the leftist, Naxal/Maoist-supporting coterie seems to be breaking bangles over Shah’s stern stance.
In an interview clipping that has gone viral, Nandini Sundar – wife of editor of leftist portal The Wire, is heard lamenting, “They have actually been issuing letters. They’ve sent out five letters now asking for a ceasefire. Um and in several of the letters, uh there were some indications that you know, they wanted a ceasefire in order to talk among themselves because um at the rate that the killing has been going on, the operations have been going on. Uh it seems that the government simply wants to wipe them out militarily rather than deal with the issues that have been raised.”
In a recent interview with anti-hindu journalist Mehdi Hasan that has sparked outrage, leftist extremist author Arundhati Roy launched a vicious attack on India’s democratic institutions, Hindu culture, and national security apparatus, repeating her familiar anti-India rhetoric that has made her a darling of Western leftist circles.
On Babri Masjid
Roy goes hyperbole on the Babri Masjid issue. She said, “I actually saw the Rath Yatra when I was in Bhopal, Advani’s Rath Yatra, the chariot procession asking for the mosque to be demolished and a temple to be built and I just saw the absolute hatred that was being whipped up you know so You knew that something was coming.”
Roy’s characteristic hyperbole ignores the complex historical context and judicial processes surrounding the Ayodhya dispute, instead reducing it to simple “hatred.”
On Her Secessionist Comments On Kashmir
Hasan, like a fanboy, seemed to be trying to do his best to be in her good books. Asking about the statements she made long back about Kashmir, he said, “You’re under threat of prosecution India right now ridiculously for comments you made on Kashmir in 2010. How do you get drawn to all these marginalized people to their causes to their struggles? Not just Muslims in Kashmir or poor people across India but Naxalites, Maoist insurgents deep in the rural jungle. What draws someone like you with your background, your upbringing? How do you end up standing with these people?”
Roy replied, “I’m not fighting on behalf of anybody. I am doing it because I’m in the swim of things. I am a part of it all and I am I have a political point of view which is not subject based. You know, I see the connection between dams and displacement and mining and climate change and fundamentalism and the walls between Hindu nationalism and the corporates. The the the fact that the Indian mass media is is criminal. There’s no other description for it. And they are owned by these corporations. There’s a direct conflict of interest. So for me it’s just developing a world view, a point of view and it doesn’t come from just theoretical stuff.”
Hasan followed it up with some more fanboy comments – “you’re being admirably modest”.
“India Used To Be A Friend Of Palestine”
Speaking on the Palestine issue and how India had “lost its dignity”, Roy said, “India used to be a friend of Palestine. India used to be a dignified country it has lost its dignity… there have been no protests about the genocide in Gaza. If 20 people protest the police don’t break it up, the shopkeepers break it up, the right-wing Hindu nationalist. I mean it’s how do you unpoison that river now.”
On Afzal Guru Hanging Done To “Please Society”
She seemed to be confused about Afzal Guru being a woman and her meeting him in jail – we are reproducing what she said as is.
“I’ve written a lot about all these fake attacks and fake terrorists and fake assassination attempts. And it started by my being in jail and meeting a woman called Afzan Guru who had been put into jail for this parliament attack which sounded so hokey from the start. And then I met her I realized she had no idea why she was there. I came out. I just went off to Goa alone with a tower of legal documents just to say what the hell is going on here, you know, and came back uh and realized that it’s absolutely crazy what’s and the Supreme Court passes a judgment sentencing someone to death saying that we have no evidence to prove that he belonged to a terrorist group. But in order to satisfy the collective conscience of society, we’re sentencing him to death. And then they hang him. Afzal Guru,”
On Bollywood and Indian Culture
When asked why Indian media and Bollywood did not condemn or speak against PM Modi, she said, “Bollywood and mainstream media anchors are like lynch mob leaders sometimes, and people who actually lynch people, put it up on YouTube and boast about it. Bollywood has made some unforgivable films that lead to mass hysteria…”
On India-Israel Relations
In her most inflammatory comments, Roy compares Hindu philosophy to fascism and makes offensive caste-based allegations.
When asked about parallels between India and Israel, she said, “Hindu nationalism and Zionism kind of walk together very easily… if you think you’re the chosen people… within Hinduism is the caste system where Brahmins are the chosen people. So the segue into that sort of fascist thinking is not a hard one to make.”
On ‘Violence’ Against Muslims in India
Roy then went on to make grotesque, exaggerated claims about violence in India that bear no resemblance to ground reality. She said, “Now it’s the Muslims who are taking that place [of Dalits]… you can just go around lynching people and you have mobs with swords come out and say Muslims should be killed, women should be raped and it’s normalized.”
On Genocide Allegations Against India
Roy propagates the dangerous and completely false theory that India is building “internment camps” for Muslims. She said, “When the citizenship amendment act came, they started building these big internment centers and they were not meant to accommodate the hundreds of millions of Muslims, but they were meant to tell people this is where you belong. You are going to be second class citizens. You do not have the rights that everybody else has. Of course, I mean India the thing is it is a very anarchic place with so many languages, so many castes, so many cultures, so much stuff to it’s like to say India is a Hindu country is like trying to pour an ocean into a Bisleri bottle, it’s hard. I don’t think that, but I don’t think that the threat isn’t there although although now in the last election you know, for a bully and a megalomaniac like Modi to have not got a majority has broken him in some ways.”
Arundhati Roy’s interview represents everything that’s wrong with the privileged activist class – living in comfort while relentlessly vilifying their own country abroad. Her statements are not just criticisms but constitute a comprehensive rejection of Indian democracy, Hindu culture, and national sovereignty. While masquerading as human rights advocacy, her rhetoric consistently aligns with India’s detractors and undermines national interests. For Roy, the Indian government that doesn’t match her radical leftist ideology is “fascist,” any expression of Hindu identity is “majoritarian,” and any act of national self-defense is “oppression.” Her words serve not to improve India but to provide ammunition to those who wish to see this great civilization weakened and divided.
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