Author and activist Arundhati Roy said here on Sunday that in this age of coalition, options are wide open and people should not fall into the trap of Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi.
Ms. Roy said the Gujarat Chief Minister is unlikely to become the Prime Minister.
“Mr. Modi is unlikely to become the Prime Minister, while Rahul Gandhi is also inexperienced,” she told reporters on the sidelines of a convention organised by Nisan, a literary magazine.
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Claiming that the country was being governed by corporates, Ms. Roy said instead of discussing who the Prime Minister should be, “we should talk about which company will come – “Tata or Reliance.”
Bhubaneswar Staff Reporter adds:
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Ms. Roy also said that the struggle for Niyamgiri would continue till the refinery unit of Vedanta Alumina Limited, situated at the foothill of Niyamgiri, is dismantled.
The noted writer and activist praised the struggle of the Dongria tribe and its success in thwarting the move to dig out Niyamgiri.
“In our world, saving one mountain is a much bigger thing than writing books and winning a Booker prize. I salute you. A refinery still exists at the foothill of Niyamgiri. A long struggle is ahead,” Ms. Roy told members of the Dongria community who were invited to the gathering.
“We should not be complacent after the victory. The corporate world is still prepared to fight it out. They are making all possible efforts to bring bauxite to the refinery. Now our aim is to close down the refinery,” Ms. Roy said.
The activist said the Dongria tribe has shown the world the art of resistance.
Local communities who are engaging in struggles to save their livelihoods should not be dictated by the so-called intellectuals on how to fight, she said, adding, “Let people decide the means of their own struggle.”