Arundhati ‘Pakistani’ and ‘Patriotic’ Right-wingers

I honestly wonder what good these meetings do, and what they can actually achieve.

There is nothing that Indian activists can do to better the situation in Pakistani, and nothing that Pakistani activists can do to better the lot of the oppressed in India.

I think a lot of it is sentimental navel-gazing, to be honest.

India's media is an institutional corollary of a larger conceptualization. And their anti progressivism is a serious problem for them.

Re: # 2

what the heck is Anti-Progressivism?... LOL

"institutional corollary of a larger conceptualization"

+++++

What is the larger conceptualization that the media in India is an institutional corollary of?

Just curious.

also, perhaps someone could speak to the unacceptable misogyny that drowns anti a. roy bias...is this institutionalized patriarchy as usual, even in the subcontinent's self proclaimed democracy?

When it comes to extremist tendencies, both sides of the border have been equally unfortunate. The more zealot and less rationale mindset is expressive in many social behaviors and cultural norms, and to a great degree, is a trade mark feature of the sociology of the Indo-Pak subcontinent.
Be it nationalist approach in India, or TNSM in Pakistan, both seek to impose their own doctrine of self-suited versions of ideals. And for this purpose, each lobby exploits the masses to disturb the emotional tectonic plates so as to manipulate the eruptions of these emotional volcanoes.

Since we are hardly sure of the strength of our own argument, we seek the strength in pointing out the weakness of the other's argument. The result is a you-are-wrong-I-am-right attitude. Now, add to it the ravenousness of the unruly beast of media, and here you go! we get a charged mob of frenzied ideas without any sense of direction, and armed by a lot of animosity at hands.

May we be saved from the havoc that our own shortsightedness is bringing onto us. Ameen.

"also, perhaps someone could speak to the unacceptable misogyny that drowns anti a. roy bias...is this institutionalized patriarchy as usual, even in the subcontinent's self proclaimed democracy?"

++++++

Arundhati Roy engages in the public space of ideas and opinions. If her ideas and opinions are criticised it's not because she is a woman, it's because of what she says.

Beena:

Arundhati Roy has every right to her opinion and her opponents have every right to condemn her opinion, as long as they do not stop her from expressing her opinion freely without any threats. In my opinion, she would be more effective if she were more balanced in her criticism; the same is true of the Pakistanis critical of their society. When criticism is unbalanced, it becomes easier for the critics to discredit the person, thus reducing their effectiveness and they end up merely speaking to the converted.

As far the media in India, the less said the better, especially the electronic media. I would say that it is more jingoistic and irresponsible than its Pakistani counterpart, maybe because in the cut-throat competition of the market place, the one catering to the lowest common denominator wins.

Re: # 8 Dm
[As far the media in India, the less said the better... I would say that it is more jingoistic and irresponsible ...]

Nah - I think Indian Media is doing it right... for far too long, paki-related issues has been downplayed in indian media...

Re: # 9

Major sahab,

Yeh kaisa comment hai. The media is not downplaying it is disinforming and for once I have to agree with DM as the Indian English media is not representative of the society except a tiny denationalised elite but pak's is.

The Indian media raises passions in a very jingoistic way that instead of war we were going to play a cricket match. The pak media for all its faults whether rightist or centrist addresses the issue the analysis may be wrong many a time but the general sentiment expressed on this issue is in tune with the populace's thinking.

Express an anti muslim opinion in India and see the fun.

Sanatani

Re: # 10

I am all for more "jingoism" against jihad... For far too long - bhindoos have taken threat of jihad far less seriously... Commie-infested elite had always tried to hush things up and play it down...

But not any more...

Hi Beena,I missed your articles on some hot issues.Welcome Back.!!!!!

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When it was time to stand up and be counted - which is to say, after the Jihadi attacks in Mumbai in November - Beenaji was busy blaming Indians for their 'knee-jerk' reactions in pointing the finger at Pakistani sources.

She remained consistent in this blame game. Even after the antecedents of Kasab and his handlers were exposed conclusively by British media. To date I don't recall a clear unequivocal statement from Beenaji about the Jihadi organizations for this particular act of terrorism.

I am not sure where this places her in the jingoism, nationalism, patriotism, Jihadism, feminism, misogynism, left or right wing topology.

Re: # 8That was a good post. I fully agree with you Mr Dost Mittar that extreme one sided opinions makes it easy for the critics to discredit it.
Regarding Mis Roy, I would like to add that for such individuals it becomes more difficult to even adopt a middle ground with a passage of time. The reason being that that to protect their reputation as a liberal left winger they have a tendency to bend backwards. When they do try to give a balanced opinion they risk being branded as a "closet" bigot!!!
Excellent point about media as well. Frankly though i really dont think that there is any difference between the media of two countries. Both are trying to sensationalise and whip a particualr brand of national extremism

The idea of people to people contact was good in the 70s but perhaps now the whole thing does not matter. In the 70s and 80s people to people contact with India was a good idea in the sense that most of the people working for the democracy in Pakistan got inspiration from a secular and democratic India.

The politics between the two countries has since changed. The rise of religion based nationalism in India simply eroded the secular basis of Indian politics. Indian Hindus are at exactly the same point now, where the Muslims in central India were in the 40s when they defined religion as the basis of a Nation. Indian Hindus now define Indian nationalism based on Hindu religion. While the Muslim Nationalism led to division of India, the Hindu nationalism will not allow promotion of good relations with a country which was carved out of India, the most important symbol of Hindu identity.

I think the leftist and the progressives do have the right ideas but sticking to one approach year after year and not adjusting to the changing times is just plain ridiculous. In both India and Pakistan rightist have become enormously popular and effectively control the ideological battleground. The rightist politics is not based on peace and friendship, it thrives on creating artificial conflicts and that is exactly what is going on in both countries. I think the progressives in both countries need to rethink their strategy. The people to people contact is not effective as the governments manipulate all public discourse and resources and they can easily nullify all the efforts that the progressives make over the years in just days.

A word about Ms. Arundhati Roy’s situation in India.

She is probably the most vocal voice India has that differs with the official rightwing ideology of the major political parties in India. Her voice not only gets attention but she is immediately billed as anti-Indian and the howling, rabid rightwing followers of the ruling parties tell her to leave India and go to Pakistan.

We have seen this phenomenon in Pakistan before the 90s when some prominent figures like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Habib Jalib, Wali Khan, and the entire Baloch and Sindhi leadership was dubbed as Anti Pakistan.

Strangely enough, the Pak TV that now plays Faiz Sahib’s ghazals often, never did that as long as he lived. Except for a brief period during the ZAB rule, none of his ghazals were played on radio or tv. He himself was never invited on Pakistan TV(except in the ZAB era). Habib Jalib was sent to jail and there were plenty of people in Pakistan who called him a traitor and Indian agent. There were many voices that actually asked him to leave the country and live in India. The poor Ahmed Faraz and Fahmida Riaz actually had to go India to save their lives.

I remember discussing the 1971 days with Mrs. Nasim Ashraf Malik in Lahore. Since we had no clue abt those times, she gave us specific instances when her own neighbors told her that she was an Indian agent and practically forced her and her family to move out of their home for a short period of time. All due to her and her husband Shamim Ashraf Malik’s active protest against the army action in Bangladesh.

Like Faiz and Habib Jalib were harassed in Pakistan, Ms. Roy will be hounded by the rightwing jackals in India for a long time.