Author Arundhati Roy has sparked a storm of criticism after an old video surfaced in which she claimed that India has “perpetually waged war” on its own citizens while arguing that Pakistan has not used its military in a similar way.
The remarks, shared online by professor and writer Anand Ranganathan drew strong reactions from former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, and several social media users, who accused Roy of distorting history and being “venomous against her own country.”
Sharing the clip, Ranganathan wrote, “When irresistible weed meets immovable hallucination.” He added, “According to Arundhati Roy, the 1961 liberation of Goa by India was in reality an upper-caste Hindu state waging a war against Christians.”
In the undated video, Roy claimed that India has “perpetually waged war” against its own citizens since independence. She cited Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Telangana, Punjab, Goa, and Hyderabad as examples.
Roy further argued that Pakistan has not deployed its army against its own people in the way India has, and described the Indian state as an “upper caste Hindu state perpetually at war.”
{{/usCountry}}Roy further argued that Pakistan has not deployed its army against its own people in the way India has, and described the Indian state as an “upper caste Hindu state perpetually at war.”
{{/usCountry}}'Venomous, deeply anti-Hindu’
Former foreign secretary and current JNU chancellor Kanwal Sibal also hit out at Roy, calling her statements dangerous and misleading. “She is venomous against her own country. Deeply anti-Hindu. Supports terrorism against the Indian state. Blatantly distorts the truth to support her deeply communal and anarchist agenda,” Sibal wrote.
Referring to her comparison with Pakistan, Sibal added: “Claims risibly that the Pakistani state unlike the Indian one has not used the military against its own people. Really? What about Pakistani military operations in the FATA, PATA and Baluchistan?”
He cited Pakistan’s use of tanks and air power in Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014, Operation Rahat-e-Nijat in 2009, Musharraf’s 2006 offensive in Balochistan, and the continuing Operation Azm-e-Istehkam launched in June 2024.
Social media reacts
The video, which has now been viewed more than 2.3 million times, has triggered a flood of responses on social media, with many users slamming Roy for “defending Pakistan” and “distorting history,” while another section echoed her concerns about caste and state power.
One comment on Ranganathan's post read: “Sir, first question who is this low IQ nobody? Defending a terror state as Pakistan as heaven while it internally suppresses everyone who doesn’t fit. With such attitude, she disqualified herself from saying one single word about India. All her comparisons are false and baseless.”
Another user, however, supported Roy’s observation on caste, writing: “India is really an upper caste Hindu state is actually true. Take the caste census of all higher officials, judges, cabinet secretaries, union ministers, chief ministers, media magnates, industry leaders since 1947. Anyone will find the truth.”