On Arundhati Roy's 'Walking with the Comrades'

Change is an inevitable part of life. However for social activists and writers trans formative political alteration in their stand must be judged by its consequences. A critical analysis of Arundati Roy's 'Walking with the Comrades'.

I HAD never read any award winning work of Arundati Roy, so I bought the latest issue of Outlook, and read the article ‘Walking with the Comrades’. I was also intrigued by the fact that a supporter of Gandhi’s principles was advocating the cause of the Naxals. Change is an inevitable part of life, and it is necessary. However every change has to be evaluated in the terms of its relevance. For social activists and writers transformative political alteration in their stand must be judged by its consequences.

The debate must start from officials and ministers proudly claiming that we are the largest growing economy of the world with the GDP in the last one decade remaining above six percent. Their claim is purposely forgetful of the fact that during the last one decade the position of India in Human Development Index has not improved at all.

Whatever be the official argument, certainly majority of the Indian population suffered an economic crunch in the neo-liberal era and there is no respite for them even after some pro-people policies introduced by the last UPA government. Anyone who praises this model of growth must have some vested interest or agenda. When the entire nation is facing the crisis one can estimate its impact on the deprived section of the Indian population.

Since ages Dalits and Adivasis have always remained at the bottom of every social and economic indicator. The caste system of Hindu religion blocked the path of progress for Dalits and even for Adivasis the things are not much different, although there is no religious issue. It is also true that in the recent past big companies have turned their eyes on forests and want to exploit the minerals for their own richness.

As a matter of fact out of 52 types of important minerals found in India, 46 are in the areas inhabited by Adivasis. More than 300 mines are located in the Adivasis’ landscape. Governments have always remained indifferent towards the welfare of more than eight percent of population (8.2 percent is the total population of STs in India, according to 2001 census).

The development activities rarely reached their place and no doubts the state and its subsidiary machinery like police, forest department, contractors and landlords exploited Adivasis in all possible ways. It is damming that in many parts of India the original inhabitants were not allowed even to plough their fields by the forest department till the forest right act was enacted. It is also true that Adivasis women are subjected to sexual harassments of worst forms.

No one can deny the fact that in the present context, when the corporate and big industries are committed to grab the mineral wealth of India, the Adivasis are going to face further tribulations. In the absence of any proper vision of development the problems will become more acute. It is a right of Adivasis to resist and they should do it and it should not be a passive resistance. Here the question comes that has Maoism helped the cause of Adivasis and on this basis I will judge the love of Ms. Arundati for the Naxals.

Very well Ms. Roy justified the armed struggle of Naxals [she presented them as Adivasis]; she elaborated how the naxals first tried to win over the confidence of the Adivasis by uniting them and lodging protest against the exploitative methods of local contractors. The successful strikes led to increase in money paid to the Adivasis. That is the first part, but later the same naxal handed arms to the Adivasis. Thus, they organised the adivasis for a right cause and by a right method but later made them rebellions.

Did it help the cause of Adivasis, is a million dollar question. Although, Ms. Arundati Roy tried to give the impression that the entire tribal movement is a naxal movement, which is far from reality. One cannot forget the fact that Adivasis successfully struggled for land rights and they finally achieved it. There was no role of Naxals in that fight and it was a democratic movement. Today, the entire adivasis movement is depicted as naxal movement, and the big issues involved into the question of land and livelihood have taken a back seat.

The Naxals had done a good job by organizing the Adivasis [as claimed in the article] but they completely destroyed their movement and are very much responsible for the present state. The pertinent questions of development, displacement, livelihood, rehabilitation, etc, have not been the central question but government due to the opportunity given by Naxals has turned the entire debate on national security.

The Adivasis are sandwiched between the government and Naxals and ultimately it is the big industries, which are gaining ground in mineral rich India. Comrade Lenin termed it as infantile disorder sorry; but the favourites of Arundati Roy are suffering form infantile disorder. They are guilty of single handedly destroying the possibility of a untied resistance which could have made Adivasis victorious. Let me give an example.

The activists who are working in Gujarat brought Narendra Modi to Court, just by adapting democratic modes. I have no idea how to revert the damage done by the Naxal to the cause of Adivassis, but I believe the mainstream left should take this struggle in a more concerted way. There is imperative role of civil society which unfortuantely is not ready to read between the lines as how the Naxals had committed big mistake by ruining the possibility of organizing and leading one of the biggest movements.

There is an immense potential in the Adivasis movement if it is organized in a democratic manner. The change in Arundati Roy’s position on Hunger Strike is not going to be useful tactics for the Adivasis. We need support from all over India; this is a time to demonize the state for its failures. The Naxals are doing exactly opposite of what they intend, by their misadventures giving chance to the government to label everyone as internal security threat. Let us hope that section of civil society, academicians and activists will change but for better.