Sarah Thankam Mathews at Lux:
On June 14 of this year, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena authorized the prosecution of author Arundhati Roy and Kashmir-based academic Sheikh Showkat Hussain for speeches they made in 2010 about the disputed territory of Kashmir. Put otherwise, the Indian government charged a world-famous author and activist under a stringent antiterrorism law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Roy, known for her fearless provocations and truth-telling on a range of socio-political issues, including Kashmir, tribal rights, and government policies, has often been at odds with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The use of the UAPA, which allows for lengthy pre-trial detention without the possibility of bail, against activists and organizers is particularly concerning to human rights advocates. Roy has not (at least at the time of writing) been jailed, but the charges against her are an alarming example of a broader trend of shrinking space for dissent and the suppression of civil liberties in contemporary India.
Among those who are quite worried is the Mumbai-based journalist and author Raghu Karnad. Karnad wrote the award-winning book Farthest Field: An Indian Story of the Second World War. He has worked as a reporter and editor for various publications, including The Wire and The Hindu. This summer we got on Zoom and talked it out.
More here.
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