POWER POLITICS * s 111111 -- ARUNDHATI ROY FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE GOD OF SMALE THINGS a 3 Arundhati Roy's essays evoke a stark image of two' Indias being driven "resolutelyin opposite directions," a small India on its way to a "glittering destination" while — the rest "melts into the darkness and disappears" microcosm of much of the world, she observes, though "in Indiayour face is slammed right up againstit." Traced with sensitivity and skill, the unfolding picture is inter- laced with provocative reflections on the writer's mission and burden, and inspiring accounts of the "spectacular struggles" ofpopularmovements that "refuse to lie down and die." Another impressive work by a fine writer. — Noam Chomsky Writers have provedwhen they turn their back to power and start to feel the pulse and pain of society, they be- come powerful. This is the power beyond power that Arundhati Roy brings forth in PowerPolitics. — Vandana Shiva Arundhati Roy combines her brilliant style as a novelist with her powerful commitment to social justice in pro- ducing these eloquent, penetrating essays. — Howard Zinn POWER POLITICS ARUNDHATI ROY SOUTH END PRESS CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS © 2001 byArundhati Roy Coverdesign by Ellen P. Shapiro Cover photograph: August 1999: A woman bathes next to the half-submerged temple at Khoteswar, a village on the banks ofthe Narmadariver.Thetemplewasinuseuntilacoupleofyearsagobut has sincebeen submergeddue to a riseinwaterlevel, adirectresult ofthe Sardar SarovarDam. Photograph byKaren Robinson. Firstprinting. Any properly footnoted quotation of up to 500 sequential words may be used without permission, as long as the total number of words quoteddoesnotexceed2,000. Forlongerquotations orfora greaternumberoftotalwords, pleasewrite to South End Press for permission. Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roy, Arundhati. Powerpolitics / Arundhati Roy. P. cm. Includes bibliographical refer—ences andindex. ISBN 0-—89608-657-7 (cloth) ISBN—0-89608-656-9 (pbk.) 1. India politics and government 1977- I. Tide. JQ231 .R69 2001 320.954—dc21 2001042902 South End Press, 7 Brookline Street, #1 MA Cambridge, 02139-4146 www.southendpress.org 05 04 03 02 01 12 3 4 5 r *r r5 CIfOl V % •§ ? °- <£2 <«3 ecnm 5 SfliI(0» \s * 0) 3 H CM r. ._- cm .o- -3^= a.- \ -COr.JbC •c=o»(J CO h o .C tn ^ -i OQ. !ro «ro£CM ACAM .£ co <«- c c„ -Oic- (H/) 6 roo 5CO >» s\ % = wo U9 T •(>CS0O m£m£ C-^«M >l i®_ =a. f 1 s*£-Slcoa =Q°3.-.CS2O « 8 \ ** AA > CwM §< = "r 0J CO vl as? (D CO yJ & <= •• oQ. k3. —" \ 2" ..

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