It’s November. That time of the year when I reluctantly pick up something non-fiction (not a genre I like) and try (and mostly fail) to get through the book. This year, I broke that pattern.
Azadi, is a short book of non-fictional essays and speeches by Arundhati Roy. I love her fiction, and her political stance, so I guessed I would like Azadi as well. And I was right 😊.
About Azadi
The chant of “Azadi!”—Urdu for “Freedom!”—is the slogan of the freedom struggle in Kashmir against what Kashmiris see as the Indian Occupation. Ironically, it also became the chant of millions on the streets of India against the project of Hindu Nationalism.
Even as Arundhati Roy began to ask what lay between these two calls for Freedom—a chasm or a bridge?—the streets fell silent. Not only in India, but all over the world. The coronavirus brought with it another, more terrible understanding of Azadi, making a nonsense of international borders, incarcerating whole populations, and bringing the modern world to a halt like nothing else ever could.
In this series of electrifying essays, Arundhati Roy challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism.
~ Synopsis from goodreads
My Review
I absolutely loved this book. Yes, her political slant aligns with mine, and she is an excellent writer, so it wasn’t hard for me to love it.
But what really resonated with me was how well and reasonably she articulated my vague uneasiness and anger at the current state of affairs in our country.
There is no anger in this book, only sadness. And tons and tons of footnotes, references, and historical context that made me feel confident that Roy has done her due research. In this era of fake news and tall claims, it was wonderful to see that even her most outrageous statements were culled from credible news reports.
That said, there is some amount of repetition. This book is a selection of speeches and essays that Arundhati Roy has written at different times. And she does cover the same ground multiple times. But I didn’t find that a huge problem as such, as she writes so beautifully and eloquently. I also think the issues she brings up are so serious that they deserve some amount of repetition. We are constantly barraged by the various news channels about how things are normal in Kashmir, about the benefits of demonetization, and so on. It helps to read the other side – about the destruction caused by these governmental policies.
In short: I loved this book. However, Arundhati Roy’s slim collection of essays will evoke different emotions in you, depending on your political beliefs.
Ooh, I didn’t know this existed! I’ve been a bit intimidated by Roy’s work because her fiction tends to run long, but this sounds like it could be a perfect introduction to her writing.
Her writing is not difficult as such, it’s actually very readable and wonderful. However, her books require some knowledge of current affairs in India, as she refers to some things a little indirectly. Kind of like a more accessible Salman Rushdie.