A large group of BJP Mahila Morcha activists protesting Arundhati Roy's recent remarks on Kashmir broke into the compound of the writer's residence here on Sunday.
The mob assembled outside Ms. Roy's house in the high-security diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri around 11 a.m. and shouted slogans against her for more than half an hour. “Curiously, three news channel vans were stationed outside our house even before the protest began…the mob was abusive and broke through the front gate of the house,” Ms. Roy's husband, Pradip Krishen, said.
Ms. Roy was not in the house at the time of the attack. In a statement, she said the mob numbered as many as a hundred persons. The activists broke a few flower pots kept outside the house and dispersed before the arrival of the police. They were prevented from entering the house by the guard and servants.
Police complaint
Mr. Krishen later lodged a complaint at the Chanakyapuri police station, following which police personnel were deployed outside the residence.
He said this was the second such attack at their Kautilya Marg residence since June 2010, when some men on motorbikes pelted stones and smashed some windows.
Though Mr. Krishen had no idea about the identity of the protesters, he suspects that they were supported by a section of the Sangh Parivar “who have already declared their intention to harm and harass Arundhati Roy.”
“Against remarks on Kashmir”
Meanwhile, Shika Roy, Delhi unit president of the BJP Mahila Morcha, who led the protest, said: “The protest was organised against Arundhati Roy's remarks on azadi for Kashmir. We chose to protest on Sunday as it happens to be the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who united the whole country.”
The police have registered a case and are investigating.
Keywords: Kashmir issue, Arundhati Roy, freedom of expression
Comments:
If freedom of speech is given in constitution then right to assemble without arms is also a fundamental right and I see nothing either in remark and in report/FIR that indicates there was vandalism.
All freedom of expression should be within the boundaries.
There was no attack at all. Breaking of flower pots cannot be construed as attack. What kind of attackers were they who were stopped by an unarmed gate keeper and servants ? Story is not plausible at all.
It is too bad the BJP is unable to persuade its unruly elements to avoid Ms Roy, as it only makes her seem more important. A complicated situation such as Kashmir should call for moderation in both word and deed, as no solution is likely to be acceptable all round.
If she has the right to say anything wrong or right then people too have the right to express their anger when she is trying to disintegrate democracy.
The people of Kashmir will indeed get their azadi as it is the only legal and logical way forward to stop human rights abuses.
I think that the role of print media in such situations is to highlight the media mob nexus; not conveniently leave out the details of the story.
Even though I don't agree with Ms. Roy's comments there is no reason for anyone to stage protests at someone's residence .the best that we can do to nullify her comments is to prove her wrong by taking steps that assimilate Kashmiri people better with the rest of the country.
Arundhati Roy is a good writer, but she is not mature enough to understand Incredible India.
This is outrageous.If you do not agree with someone's opinion.Fight it in the courts,have silent protests in the city square by all means.But you have zero right to invade anybody's private lives.The BJP should be ashamed of itself and all these unscrupulous elements must be brought to book.To think that it was a bunch of "Mahila Morcha" activists sickens me even more.
So Arundhati has to be silenced because of her views on Kashmir.
The RSS wants to silence the police of Rajasthan as it has included an RSS official in a chargesheet.
Yet, we wish to claim that we are the next super-power that will lead the world.
Violent protests should not be resorted to as it will dilute the cause for which anyone is concerned. But, Arundhati Roy should have thought umpteen times, before sharing the dais with someone like Geelani, a declared separatist.
No other media house has even reported this cowardly incident, because Arundhati has taken them well. These media houses might be feeling little shameful for their act.
Of all people she as a writer should be aware of the repercussions of passing such remarks. Yes, everyone has a freedom of speech but they should consider the political & social implications before airing views in public.
I feel it was rather a protest not an attack. Arundhati said there were 100 persons but none did any harm except breaking a pot though there was no police or force to prevent mob from attacking her.
The one problem I have with the media is referring to Ms. Roy as a writer. She is an activist. She may also be a writer, but she is definitely more active as an activist. Writers write. Activists get people motivated to do things. What is Ms. Roy more active with? Certainly she is more in the news for her activism, not writing.
We have become a truly sick society to have to resort to violence against people with whom we disagree.
Kashmiri people of India already have 'Azadi'. It is the people of 'Azad Kashmir' (POK side) who do not.God forbid Indian Kashmiris enslavement by the Talibanic ideology. A landlocked Kashmir would be Afghanistan extended! The focus of caring activists should be to bring pressure on GOI AND Separatists for fair treatment of civilians, punishments to power abusers, good governance, healthy commerce and education. Reactionary statements supporting rebelious sentiments/sedition propogate problems, immature, self-serving and plain un-intelligent.
@Rahul Bansal - exactly. The right to assemble without arms should be safeguarded by the Constitution. Bbut in Kashmir, this right is murdered every minute. Three people cant assemble anywhere (section 377 probably) Wasn't she right in supporting our cause, then?
Her comments after attacks are politically motivated, it doesn't show a mature and balanced mind from an author of God of Small Things. Now hopes she will realize what the Indian army families are going through when their loved ones are based in Kashmir with attacks by mobs, militants and politically insensitive state and country.
@Shehla Rashid: Don't be so naive; So called 'right of assembly' does not include pelting stones on police and security agencies or arson. When was the last time 'peaceful' assembly of (apparently) innocent youths happened without stone-pelting!? The Army/CRPF was in barracks before '89; there were no check-posts in streets; No one stopped Kashmiris from holding 'peaceful' demonstrations. Army HAD to intervene when armed militants started murdering innocents Kashmiris (not just innocent Hindu Pandits but also moderate Muslim voices; a glance at killings in Kashmir in last decade will confirm that). It is shocking to see how amnesic people are! It is easy to demonize armed forces for so called 'atrocities' but alternative to this is another wave of ethnical-killings in valley. Gellani's idea of a pure "Islamist Kashmir" is no secret!
Freedom of speech is vastly different than an angry mob at the door of the speaker. Let's be intellectually honest here. Speech is a God given human right that people can choose to listen to or reject and walk away from. You can't walk away from an angry mob that is stationed by your front door. Speech is delivered from one's heart while a mob seeks to cause fear, anxiety, intimidate, and end civil discourse. What makes Indian society great is the fact that we have the oldest and largest democracy in the world. A great democracy can survive free speech. It is land of Gandhi, Nehru, and Arundhati Roy - don't deny anyone the freedom to speak for religious, cultural and social justice. A true democracy will accept speech, despite how extreme that viewpoint may be. After hearing viewpoints from the far left and the far right, hopefully a happy medium can be found in the middle. Thus, extreme viewpoints are needed and necessary for a society to grow. Viva Ms. Roy!
It's true that the writer's comments have invoked a lot of protest. The police or the judiciary should involve and sort out the issue, before individual parties try to make use of such situations for their own benefit. The media should also oblige to a social commitment by not promoting elements who are meant to be ignored, They should not nurture them to become overnight domestic terrorists.
This is freedom of speech in big democratic state India……Which is now not as per the dreams of Gandhi G…but as per the dreams of his killer Nathu Ram…result on the ground……situation going from bad to worse.
I think its best to ignore people like Roy who does not know what she is talking about. The Hindu clearly won't do that. The lady needs to get a real job.
Kashmir is bleeding for the decades now. It has been too much. Huge number of soldiers have been killed and huge number of population has been killed and also so many houses of civilian population have been burnt and destroyed, may be, some for suspicion, and some as a reaction against explosions. Politicians on all sides are also not doing their good. But, it is no denying the fact that Kashmir is burning. As Vikram singh has commented (Nov. 1), India is really incredible. If there were suppressive atrocities by the Mughal rule against non-muslims, there came Mai Bhago with arms to fight against Government terror. Here, when feeling some people bleeding in Kashmir, Arundhati Roy has come up, though only with her expressions through the media, not with arms. Yet, both ladies, and both risked their own lives for the sake of others' lives! It is a big problem, which cannot be solved by protests by RSS or anybody or by silencing Arundhati. Govt must find a solution.
pelting a stone or breaking into a house is a stupid reaction to a "comment or opinion".if you are unable to counter an opinion by another.............its a miserable condition for the stone pelters.
where have all the "grey matters" gone? all gone saffron?:)
logics abound!use one instead of a lot of stones.