‘I am not stupid’

‘I am not stupid’
Kay Benedict

NEW DELHI: Stung by West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s comment that intellectuals, who criticised the CPI(M)-led government’s land acquisition policy in Singur and Nandigram are “victims” of false propaganda and misinformation, Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy said she is not that stupid to get easily misled by anything.

“I don’t think I am so stupid. I am not a puppet. I don’t think people like Sumit Sarkar (eminent Left-leaning historian) are victims of any propaganda,” Roy said on Thursday. She said this when she was asked if she had fallen “prey to the misinformation campaign” as alleged by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

Apparently dissatisfied by the CPI(M)’s belated attempt to quell fears on the forcible land acquisition process, Roy said: “I don’t make a huge distinction between the political parties any more. They are all taking us for a ride. When the CPI(M) was on the pavement with Medha Patkar on Narmada and other projects, why should it resent our help to people in Singur and Nandigram who need our support?”

Both Buddha and the CPI(M) politburo had recently said that “several distinguished individuals have fallen prey to the misinformation campaign launched by the opponents in West Bengal.” The CM said this after intellectuals such as Sumit Sarkar, Arundhati Roy, Rajinder Sachar, Romila Tapar, Jean Dreze, Yogendra Yadav and activists like Medha Patkar and Aruna

Roy backed villagers in Singur and Nandigram, who were opposed to forcible takeover of land by the West Bengal government for industrial projects. Fearing the loss of the party’s intellectual base, Buddha wrote to some of the literati saying that his government will not forcibly acquire land and promised to consult all parties to evolve a consensus.

Roy said she is yet to receive the CM’s letter, while Sumit Sarkar has already confirmed that he received it.

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