Viswanathan K's Thoughts

When the Naxalites kidnapped a couple of Italians recently, I wondered what was their thinking? That India would cave in to their demands because they kidnapped a Western country’s citizen? But Italy of all Western countries? Because that would imply they are woefully out of touch with the power equations that exist today! Maybe the Naxalites should start reading newspapers or websites instead of just communist literature. After all, Kerala insisted on and got custody of the Italian commandos who killed some fishermen. Italy as a country is considered to be a bankruptcy risk; India, on the other hand, is growing even in a recessionary environment. And yet, do the Naxalites believe that India is the weaker country in interactions with Italy? Or are they banking on Sonia’s (possible) soft corner for her country of birth to do the trick? That apart, I am curious what the moralists who support the Naxalites, like Arundhati Roy, have to say. Is it OK to kidnap random Italians, who have ...

What’s common about Arundhati Ray, VS Naipaul and MF Husain? Apart from the obvious “Creative people, Indian by origin” answer? They’re all admired by a section of India that feels an obligation to like and/or respect anyone who’s won recognition from the West. Don’t get it? Let me explain. Do you think most of the English speaking, liberal/secular gang would support a “murder is justified” stand? Or a male chauvinist? Or a guy who mocks others’ religion? Almost always they’d not, except when the person expressing those views was recognized by the West. Take Arundhati Roy: she’s always ready to rationalize murders by the “poor” and “persecuted”. And yet, does she write in Bengali or Oriya, the languages of Maoists? Oh no, she’ll spew her venom in English. Really, Arundhati, you think the people you claim to speak for understand English? But I guess if you wrote in Bengali or Oriya, you’d never get a Booker or whatever prize you won. A prize given by the evil West! The people you love t...