Before I proceed to delve into the discussion of Arundhati Roy's book Azadi, I would like to apprise you of how I got to know about such an incredible writer. In our previous semester, the university hired a new young instructor who had concluded his research on Arundhati Roy's writings and he is quite fond of reading books other than literature too. At the very first lecture of his teaching career, he divulged about his research on Arundhati Roy's writings. He inculcated going over about some great writers such as Arundhati Roy, Michel Foucault, Iqbal Ahmad and Edward Said, by igniting deep insight into their works.
It was his very first lecture in his introductory class as it has usually been an introductory class when some new instructors or students have their first class, but it was a portal for us to be companions with some great writers through their written work. He told us that my research is on Indian writer Arundhati Roy's writings; she is a tremendous writer and critic of Modi's government. At that time I didn't focus on Arundhati Roy's name, however, I was watching videos on YouTube about Michel Foucault and Edward Said. This name didn't pull my attention but some days later, I was scrolling Facebook where I saw a book titles Azadi: Freedom, Fiction and Fascism. The title of the book pulled my attention towards it and when I saw the writer's name, it was Arundhati Roy's book. I bought this book.
A week later, I started reading this book enthusiastically. Within two weeks, I finished it. Before reading this book my thoughts were different about India and Modi's government, but when I read it my whole opinion changed about India and Modi's government.
Before I went through this book, whenever I had watched and listened to the news on our TV channels concerning the fascist Modi government, critique on his policies, inferior conditions of Indian Muslims and other minorities, and the awful conditions of Kashmiris: I wasn't convinced by thinking that our TV channels were spreading propaganda and hate in our people against India. Indian channels consistently keep them unaware of the reality. I was wondering if our News channels were divulging lies to us about India as Indian channels are airing about Pakistan.
Arundhati Roy's book Azadi is a collection of essays and lectures which were written and delivered in various newspapers and sessions in the year between 2018-20. This book especially focuses to know what the means of Azadi for Kashmiris, as the Indian government abrogated the special status of Kashmir. After abrogating the special status of Kashmir, the fascist Modi government imposed a lockdown in Kashmir for more than a month. The internet service was disrupted all over Kashmir, the Indian army was seen patrolling in streets and bazaar. The people of Kashmir were kept hypnotised in their homes. This book discusses deeply the awful conditions of Kashmiris made by Modi's government.
This book exposes the policies of the Modi government in making India a Hindu nationalist country. It also discusses the massacre of Muslims in 2002 in Gujarat when Modi was the governor of Gujarat. Arundhati Roy says that Modi never repented of this big tragedy even when asked to repent by some journalists. Azadi solicitudes that India wouldn't longer be a secular state, instead it would be a Hindu nationalist country.
Arundhati Roy is a brave writer, even being facing many false allegations in various Indian courts, she writes the truth and stands with the righteous. She had been arrested many times and imprisoned many times because of criticizing the policies of the government.