Editing Arundhati Roy (section)

===Criticism of Anna Hazare===
On 21 August 2011, at the height of [[Anna Hazare]]'s [[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement|anti-corruption campaign]], Roy criticised Hazare and his movement in an opinion piece published in ''[[The Hindu]]''.<ref>Roy, Arundhati (21 August 2011), [https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/id-rather-not-be-anna/article2379704.ece "I'd rather not be Anna"], ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 18 June 2012. {{webarchive |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240201172552/https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/id-rather-not-be-anna/article2379704.ece |date=1 February 2024}}.</ref> In the article, she questioned Hazare's secular credentials, pointing out the campaign's corporate backing, its suspicious timing, Hazare's silence on private-sector corruption, expressing her fear that the [[Lokpal]] will only end up creating "two oligarchies, instead of just one". She stated that while "his means may be Gandhian, his demands are certainly not", and alleged that by "demonising only the Government they" are preparing to call for "more privatisation, more access to public infrastructure and India's natural resources", adding that it "may not be long before Corporate Corruption is made legal and renamed a Lobbying Fee". Roy also accused the electronic media of blowing the campaign out of proportion. In an interview with ''[[Kindle Magazine]]'', Roy pointed out the role of media hype and target audience in determining how well hunger strikes "work as a tool of political mobilization" by noting the disparity in the attention Hazare's fast has received in contrast to the decade-long fast of [[Irom Sharmila]] "to demand the repealing of a law that allows non-commissioned officers to kill on suspicion—a law that has led to so much suffering."<ref name="Kejriwal">{{cite news|last=Kejriwal|first=Pritha|title=Love is the Centre, an Interview with Arundhati Roy|url=http://kindlemag.in/love-is-the-centre|work=Kindle Magazine|access-date=15 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419133313/http://kindlemag.in/love-is-the-centre/|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Roy's comparison of the [[Jan Lokpal Bill]] with the Maoists, claiming both sought "the overthrow of the Indian State", met with resentment from members of [[Team Anna]]. Medha Patkar reacted sharply calling Roy's comments "highly misplaced" and chose to emphasise the "peaceful, non-violent" nature of the movement.<ref>Mukherjee, Vishwajoy (22 August 2011). [https://archive.today/20120913231839/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ws220811LOKPAL_BILLII.asp "We Are Not Like the Maoists: Medha Patkar"]. ''Tehelka''. Retrieved 29 August 2011.</ref> Roy also has stated that "an 'anti-corruption' campaign is a catch-all campaign. It includes everybody from the extreme left to the extreme right and also the extremely corrupt. No one's going to say they are for [[Corruption in India|corruption]] after all...I'm not against a strong anti-corruption bill, but corruption is just a manifestation of a problem, not the problem itself."<ref name="Kejriwal"/>