NPR row: Did Arundhati Roy make an irresponsible statement?

by Tanvi Katyal Molitics - Media of Politics

After protests over CAA, NRC continue to make news headlines, this time it’s a fresh row over National Population Register (NPR) and what has highlighted this issue even more is the recent statement made by Arundhati Roy over NPR. Arundhati Roy is a well-known writer, Booker Prize winner and an activist.

In 2015, she had joined the league of writers and filmmakers who had returned their awards as a protest against the growing intolerance in the country. A case was filed against her, in 2010, for sedition for saying Kashmir was not an integral part of India. In her defence, Arundhati claimed that she "spoke about justice for the people of Kashmir who live under one of the most brutal military occupations in the world".

Roy, a booker prize winner, even accused the Narendra Modi-led government of "promoting Brahmanism" in the name of "Hindu Rashtravad".

On Wednesday, the writer-activist Arundhati Roy, urged Indians to furnish wrong information to the government when it asks for data for the National Population Register (NPR). Arundhati Roy said, "Whenever the officials come to collect your information for NPR, you can give wrong names like Rabga-Billa or Kungfu-kutta and also give wrong address like 7, Race Course Road.”

Her comments over NPR haven’t gone down well with the BJP leaders. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan slammed the writer and said, “If this is the kind of intellectuals we have in this country, then we should first get a register of these people... Arundhati Roy should be ashamed of herself. If such statements are not betraying the nation, what is?"

Firebrand BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has demanded arrest of the author under National Security Act (NSA). Swamy said that Roy’s comments over NPR amount to sedition and called her a danger for the society.

BJP leader Uma Bharti too, in one of her tweets, slammed the author for using Ranga and Billa names, who were hardcore criminals, instead of men like Ashfaqullah Khan or Ramprasad Bismil.

The Goddess of bizarre statements has drawn criticism for her irresponsible statement, across the political spectrum. This time even the Congress party, which had been opposing the current BJP led govt on issues such as NRC, NPR and CAA, has hit back at author Arundhati Roy, over her remarks on NPR.

Congress media panelist Shama Mohamed in one of his tweets, said, "What nonsense is Arundhati Roy speaking! It's one thing to ask people to refuse to participate in the NPR, but to ask them to give out incorrect details is completely wrong. Who does she think she is! We don't need unsolicited advice from someone who insults our Indian Army."

The National Population Register, introduced by the UPA government in 2010, is a register of citizens in the country that will contain demographic and biometric details. On Tuesday, funds of more than Rs 3,900 crore were approved by the Union cabinet to update the register. On the same day, Amit Shah denied any link between the NPR and the NRC and said their databases could not be used for the other.

Who are Ranga and Billa?

In August 1978, Kuljeet Singh alias Ranga Khus and Jasbir Singh alias Billa, murdered two teenagers (Geeta and Sanjay), children of a senior naval officer, after subjecting them to sadistic torture. The two kidnappers were convicted and sentenced to death. The execution was carried out in 1982.

The Ranga-Billa comment made by Roy has created a stir in the country. Internet users trolled Arundhati Roy for her recent remark. However, this is not the first time Ranga and Billa’s name has been used. In 2019, even Congress leader P Chidambaram's counsel while seeking bail in the INX Media money laundering case had brought up names of Ranga and Billa.

At home, though, Arundhati is ridiculed as a terrorist sympathiser, a Naxalite, a communist, and secessionist. The lady never skips any opportunity to take an anti-govt stand, whenever the Indian govt comes under scanner. Though, questioning the Government is not at all an easy task as it requires a lot of sacrifice and courage, but criticism just for the sake of criticizing is also not an appreciable thing to do. It is unacceptable for an author like Arundhati Roy, who enjoys such a high stature, to say such things in public.

The writer-activist should be cautious with the usage of her words. It is highly required for our politicians, activists, intellectuals and writers to first think before they speak out anything in public. Criticism should be constructive and this should not be confused with any kind of manipulation. One should always question the Govt of the day in a healthy democracy, and in a country like India we as citizens are empowered enough to accept and oppose any decision of our elected representatives.

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source: https://www.molitics.in/article/624/npr-row-did-arundhati-Roy-make-an-irresponsible-statement