Friday, October 29, 2010

Kashmir & Arundhati Roy

Letter to Editor - The Hindu 29th Oct. 2010

Freedom of speech is a fundamental right and all citizens, including Ms Roy, are entitled to it. But the right becomes invaluable only by responsible exercise. While nobody can deny police excesses, particularly in conflict zones, the statement by the eminent writer that the people of Kashmir live under one of the “most brutal military occupations in the world” is unacceptable. She has also said that Kashmir has never been an integral part of India. It could not have been, for the present Indian state is an administrative unit created by the British and politically, the Indian landmass was under the rule of countless kings for ages. Calls for azaadi out of frustration, incitement or police excesses should not be mixed up with misrule by successive governments in the State.

G. Gokul Kishore,

New Delhi

2 comments:

Balu said...

"But the right becomes invaluable only by responsible exercise" ????

Sethuraman said...

It's atrocious that such an eminent author has passed on such comment. Isn't she reading newspaper reports - abuse in Arab countries, abuse in US and many other developed countries. Even after taking the center-stage in World Economy, still many Indians are not treated well in European countries. We Indians work like donkeys there, even though we have the best of talent. Have heard a story from my friend: weekends were off for them, but Indians were called for work, saying, you Indians work on Saturdays, anyway. This can only be termed as working under the leadership of brutal Economic powerhouses.