BROKEN NEWS

Activist-author Arundhati Roy’s vitriolic tirades against the state in her essays and speeches have turned her into a controversial figure and she took it a step further with her latest book Broken Republic (Penguin,Rs 499) launched at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi a few days ago. The book comprises three essays based on Roy’s interactions with tribals in Naxalite-hit areas like Dantewada in Chattisgarh.

Litterateurs,activists and “thinking” Delhi turned up in large numbers,filling every vacant space along the walls and the aisles of the auditorium. “We,at the moment are living in a militarised democracy,” said Roy,echoing her oft-repeated statement. However,not everybody in the audience was an Arundhati Roy fan — a section protested vehemently,shouting slogans against her until the police were called in. All through the ruckus,Roy sat unperturbed and,once the last protester had been escorted out,brushed off the incident,joking that she had paid them for this little stunt. In tune with Roy’s anger against the State was the guest band for the evening,Ska Vengers,who had shot into prominence with their performance supporting the Free Binayak Sen Campaign. For Roy’s launch,the group’s lyrics fittingly railed the State for oppression and making a mockery of democracy. The author herself read out a piece to the music of the band,on under-privileged sections of society. Yet,the discordant notes injected by the protesters seems to indicate that her once-iconic image as an award-winning writer is being buried under the anger and angst of her activist agenda.