‘Modi worse than Trump’, Indian author Arundhati Roy

An old interview of famed Indian author Arundhati Roy has resurfaced on the internet, in which the famed author sheds light on the damage India has received, and the Muslims of India have suffered under Modi’s premiership.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been under fire for turning India into a violent, extremist state. As India prepares for general elections, the ruling party is utilizing the tool of jingoism to win seats and declaring war against Pakistan.

The video showcasing renowned Indian author stating how she fears the ongoing extremism in India that Modi’s government has brought is costing Muslims their jobs, basic rights and most importantly their lives, was shared by Pakistani Senator Sherry Rehman on Twitter. She captioned hee post, “Worth a moment: Arundhati Roy on Modi’s India”.

Arundhati Roy sat down with Evan Davis for the BBC show Newsnight and talked about her latest book The Ministry of Utmost Happiness and why she is critical of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Responding to a question put forth by Evan Davis, she replied that Modi is as bad as she feared.

In the interview, Roy further elaborated: “… today you’re looking at a situation where the Muslim community has been ghettoized. You’re looking at people being lynched on the streets. You’re looking at them being pushed out of economic activity they participated in earlier, you know meat shops, leather work, handicrafts, all of this is under assault!”

She added, “The violence in India is terrifying”.

“You all must have followed the rape of the little girl in Kashmir. Thousands of people marched out in support of the rapist, including women. There was an attempt to change how that trial was going to take place. So the polarisation is so frightening”, Roy stated.

She further added that Modi is worse than Trump because he enjoys the support of all the elite institutions in India in his extremist propaganda, including the judiciary and the media.

“Look at Trump, he’s out of control. But all the institutions are so worried about him…. Whereas in India all the elite institutions have been in some ways taken over by this [Modi].”

The God of Small Things writer then notes, “You have school textbooks [in India], I mean New York Times did a story about school textbooks of great world leaders, with Hitler on the cover!”