CJP protests dealt PM Modi bigger blow than election defeat: Arundhati Roy

Referring to the ruling dispensation, she was quoted by PTI as saying: “The image of 24 years… made by spending crores of rupees, where some call him the incarnation of Vishnu… and in two weeks, cockroaches have destroyed that whole 24 years.” She termed this, “a bigger victory than elections.”

Warning on institutional levers

However, the Booker Prize-winning writer did not project unqualified optimism arguing that the Opposition’s gains on the street could be rendered hollow if the government continues to command control over constitutional bodies and state machinery.

“If this government keeps the institutions or levers of power, then it will be very difficult for us,” she said, according to the PTI report, urging political parties and civil society to collaborate in defending democratic guardrails.

A musical call for Opposition unity

Drawing an analogy for the Opposition, Roy likened the protesters’ coordination to a musical ensemble. She praised the “maturity” of young demonstrators who, despite their disagreements, played their assigned parts responsibly. “The bass guitarist can’t be the singer, the singer can’t be the drummer… they all have played their roles differently. Now the adults also have to show their maturity,” she told the audience.

The ‘Gangster’ Mother

In her memoir, Roy traces her relationship with her late mother, Mary Roy, a pioneering educator and property-rights activist. Clarifying the provocative title, Roy said that calling her mother a “gangster” was neither insult nor empty praise, but a description of her fierce, protective nature.

Roy also recounted a childhood memory of her brother being beaten for poor grades while she was rewarded. She extended that metaphor to the present, saying that “someone is being beaten” everywhere, be it in Gaza, at bus stands, in villages, and at Jantar Mantar.

Call to resist

Concluding her address to rapturous applause, Roy insisted that citizens must refuse to accept injustice as normal. “Now we have to show that we will not be beaten anymore,” she said, as per the PTI account.

“Meri Maa, Meri Gangster” translated by Prabhat Singh and priced at ₹577 is now available across bookstores and online platforms. The original English edition has been translated into over 40 languages, including Japanese, Chinese, and Mongolian, PTI added.