Author-Activism: Philosophy of Dissent in the Writings of Arundhati Roy

Abstract

In this paper our analysis focuses on theorising “dissent” as a philosophical-political “moment” and studying the voice of “dissent” through the writings of Arundhati Roy. We argue through a close reading of Roy’s texts that dissent is intrinsic to human thoughts and dialogues. Taking our cue from Robert Barsky’s study of Noam Chomsky’s life as a “life of dissent” and from Brian Martin’s paper “Advice for the Dissident Scholar,” in Thought and Action, Vol. 14, we argue that the term dissent is set in a complex interplay of multiple subjectivities. A dissenting voice is looked upon as a voice that goes against, rather than with the established norms of the society, and in extreme cases, is fiercely opposed. Taking these theoretical premises further into a praxical mode, we analyse Arundhati Roy’s non-fictional works, and bring out the element of dissent, which is implicitly present in each of her essays. Roy’s dissent, mainly political in nature, usually takes the form of scathing criticism – the expression of which is fearless and forthright. Our interpretation of Roy’s works is in connection with the impact and the substantiality of her dissent.