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Book Review-2
War
Talk
Arundhati Roy,
South End Press, Massachusetts, 2003.
Pages: 142.
Like her previous book The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy’s
recent book War Talk is also the expression of her deep concern and
contemplation on human security issues. Arundhati Roy has been a social
activist highlighting the pressing issues such as environment and basic
human rights. This book comprises six chapters; is cogently written, that
engage the reader’s attention. It begins with the explanation of the
general apathy towards nuclear war and its horrifying consequences.
Whereas, the threats of nuclear holocaust are rising, there is lamentable
indifference among the great powers, towards the implementation of the
nuclear non-proliferation regimes. The nuclear weapons have held the
entire populace of the belligerent countries hostage. The possibility of a
nuclear confrontation or a crisis is not a question of only two armies
experiencing the anxieties of nuclear brinkmanship. The dread of a nuclear
war and the massive annihilation that could follow as a consequence of a
nuclear exchange have deprived every individual of the basic security that
a state is supposed to ensure. This is the very beginning of terror and
insecurity. The ideas like ‘Ahimsa’ - the pacifist view of life, which
although might not be the most popular idea in South Asia has gradually
degenerated, and receded into oblivion. The author has criticised the
political leaders for not being able to practice and promote the spirit of
democracy. Analysing the fear of annihilation and the degenerating of
moral values, the author hypothesises that democracy might not be the
definite solution for the problems of governance in the region. This is
because of different social structures, where the states are still
struggling with two systems, the pre-colonial and the post-colonial. They
have yet to find their identities as nation states in modern world. This
dichotomy has led to the emergence of split societies in the region. While
one group is barely keeping body and soul together, the others compete in
the race of technological innovation with the affluent states. For
democracy to flourish, the gap between the haves and the have-nots must be
minimised.
Presenting her own views about the domestic political culture in India,
the author has criticised the Hindu politicians for raising communal
tensions and antagonism by their chauvinistic and racist rhetoric. The
mass killing of Muslims in Gujarat has left a permanent scar on the psyche
of many humane Indians. Indian politics has been transformed into an
aristocratic mafia of extremists with a name Sangh Parivar, personifying
them as a joint family similar to the fascists under Benito Mussolini. The
author has criticised the ruling BJP government, which shows her courage
and conviction of beliefs. Taking the idea of unjust societies further,
the author has drawn an analogy of the September 11, 2001, incident to
some previous occurrences in history, which according to her, have come
back to haunt the developed states namely the United States (US) and
United Kingdom (UK). These included the illegal investiture of Augusto
Pinochet in Chile, leading to an aristocratic and tyrannical regime that
killed thousand of Chileans. Pinochet assumed power on 11 September 1973,
with the support of the CIA. The other example is that of the persecution
of Palestinians under the British mandate system, which came into force on
11 September 1922, in the Middle East. This gradually usurped the
Palestinians of their right to exist as citizens of Palestine.
The author shows notable respect for thinkers like Noam Chomsky, who in
their writings have highlighted the corrupted political systems that were
the basis of the US Empire of today. Agreeing with Chomsky, she considers
that US Empire was being on immoral grounds and through immoral means,
like the massive enslavement of the African race. It seems that despite
the incidents like September 11, 2001 the US is still bent upon pursuing
the realist agenda. While explaining these incidents, the author enlivens
the text by quoting some references that might not be traditionally
academic, like the revolutionary songs Buffalow Soldier by Bob
Marley and Imagine by John Lennon. However, the effects such songs
had on the opinion formulation of the people cannot be underrated. The
book is written employing the modern tools of research, requiring
references to be of an academic nature; however, such unconventional
references are a welcome change for the reader. The presentation and
expression of the writer is simple, enabling the reader to easily
assimilate the intricate ideas. It also presents a thought, which is
nothing short of being revolutionary. It is through debate between the
conformist and revolutionary ideas that a decent and developed society can
be cultivated. In this perspective the book is of great academic value.
The author is of the opinion that despite the great sufferings sustained
by mankind in the course of history, it has not learnt a lesson and is
still moving towards self-annihilation that it setout to prevent. The
beliefs of the modern leaders are as distorted now, as they were at the
time of their nuclear attack on Japan. The extremists, be they Westerns,
the Hindus or the Islamists, need to be outlawed, before they lead the
world towards the path of destruction. However, the dark clouds do have a
silver lining. This hope is fortified, when we consider the example of the
recent general elections in India where the poor people, had their voices
heard and brought about a significant political change. Similarly, the
developing countries and their people have their voice, which is their
only weapon. The only way to confront injustices is to raise your voice
and concerns in a more proactive manner, by standing up and being counted.
Ahmed Ijaz Malik
Assistant
Research Officer, IPRI
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