Arundhati Roy: Massacres being used for electoral advantage

Rachana Ramesh

Bengaluru

 “Three days ago, I buried my mother. I did not know if my heart would allow me to come here, but I know she would be ashamed of me if I didn’t,” said Arundhati Roy and started her speech at an event organised by the Gauri Memorial Trust on the occasion of Gauri Lankesh’s 5th death anniversary here on Monday.

 Speaking about Teesta Setalvad, she said that the meticulous documentation made by her and her organisation will someday provide evidence of the “war crimes” that took place in Gujarat during 2002. She added that massacres are being used for electoral advantage. She also pointed out that the legal procedure used to approve the remission of Bilkis Bano’s rapists is not being questioned. “What we’re seeing in India today is a fusion between the government, state enforcement agencies and a political party. They are becoming inseparable,” she said and added that an opposition-free democracy does not exist.

 She said that the party in power has accumulated and become one of the richest in the world through money accessed from demonetisation and electoral bonds. “There must be a minimum support price (MSP) for MLAs and MPs. Instead of going to resorts, they must be stored in an Adani godown where they can bargain their minimum price,” Roy said, regarding the “toppling of governments and buying of those who are elected” by the party in power.

 “We have to start from the sub-zero level now, but it is a kind of liberation. We must not think of ourselves as defeated but believe in every small victory as a step in the right direction. This tyranny has to end and will end; it is a law of physics,” she said.

Teesta Setalvad, who received bail over the weekend in a case of allegedly fabricating evidence to frame innocent people in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots, spoke virtually about her experience of time spent in prison. One of the prominent members of the trust, Teesta said, “I thought of her when I was there. She would have wanted me to talk to her about the conditions of women lodged in jail – what does institutionalisation mean for women who are picked up and denied bail.”

 Speaking about her days in the Sabarmati Central Women’s Jail, she said that the prison manual is taken for granted. Claiming that the library in the jail was always shut, she said, “Calm, reflection and writing are not a priority for the jailers.” “I spent Independence Day in jail. So did 17 women convicts who have crossed 14 years of incarceration. They were anxiously waiting for their remission, which did not happen. Shockingly, those convicted for mass rape and murder were released this year,” she said, citing the injustice done to Bilkis Banos. Teesta also said that a campaign to gain remission for the 17 women will be shortly held.

 Deepu from the Gauri Memorial Trust said the idea for the space of media was Gauri’s. “We are not here to remember Gauri. Today, we must remember what Gauri stood for and what we have to fight for – the getaway of BJP from Karnataka,” he said. He said that the status quo is that of dread and each citizen is being considered a suspect. “Democracy has become about demanding more police for protection. The idea of a police state is being normalised, which must certainly be questioned,” Deepu said and recalled anecdotes of Gauri denying security provided by police. He also spoke of those who are wrongly incarcerated and provided the examples of Umar Khalid and those jailed as accused in the Bhima Khoregaon case.

 Kavitha Lankesh, sister of Gauri, said that she was the first to translate the writings of Arundhati to Kannada and introduce her to the audience in Karnataka.

Prakash Rai, renowned cine actor, recalled what he had felt during the funeral of Gauri Lankesh and said, “While we were burying her, I said, we are not burying her but are planting a seed of her ideology and legacy.” He spoke of recent developments in the country, from Bilkis Banos to Idgah Maidans. “It is our ego and internal fights that are allowing the BJP to stay in power. If we must see a glimpse of Gauri again, we must stand in solidarity with the other women who are outspoken and seeking justice. A healthy society will not tolerate such injustices and harassments by the system, to which the solution is solidarity,” he said.

The large gathering at the venue rendered songs and raised slogans in memory of Gauri Lankesh and her legacy