Arundhati Roy walks with #AwardWapsi comrades: Divides Twitter

The goddess of big ideas, Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy, has returned her National Award, which she had won in 1989 for best screenplay-writing for In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones. The controversial and provocative writer has firmly lent her support to the intellectuals' protest taking India by storm at present, and has said that the present government is orchestrating an "intellectual malnutrition" of its citizens, is an "assault on the the collective IQ of the country". 

She said, "It doesn't matter whether we agree or disagree with what is being said. If we do not have the right to speak freely, we will turn into a society that suffers from intellectual malnutrition, a nation of fools."

Roy congratulated the Indian left-liberals, adding: "I believe what artists and intellectuals are doing right now is unprecedented, and does not have a historical parallel. It is politics by other means. I am so proud to be part of it. And so ashamed of what is going on in this country today."

Also read: We will turn into a nation of fools: Arundhati Roy

Anticipating the usual "whataboutery", Roy cleared the air that this was not just a mere Congress vs BJP battle of electioneering. "I turned down the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2005 when the Congress was in power. So please spare me that old Congress-versus-BJP debate. It has gone way beyond all that."

As expected, the Twitter world is awash with reactions ranging from admiration to outright mockery, both from the Left, Right and Centre.

First, the ones that welcomed Roy's rather belated move to join the #AwardWapsi bandwagon.

Only Arundhati Roy could come up with a brilliant phrase like 'intellectual malnutrition'. Maybe Baba Ramdev has a tonic to cure it?

— Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) November 5, 2015

Arundhati Roy is who every genuinely patriotic Indian should aspire to be like.

— IndiaExplained (@IndiaExplained) November 5, 2015

She may be wrong. She may be right. But she sure can write. Arundhati Roy - https://t.co/hHY98OpaNx

— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) November 5, 2015

Arundhati Roy joins #AwardWapsi mvmt: attacks on 'collective IQ' will make #India suffer 'intellectual malnutrition' https://t.co/62GMwTH1mw

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) November 5, 2015

Arundhati Roy returns award, pithily; I like that line about "censorship has been outsourced to the mob". https://t.co/XAekQvuLuA

— Nilanjana Roy (@nilanjanaroy) November 5, 2015

"Intolerance is the wrong word to use for lynching, shooting' etc. Arundhati Roy on why she's returning her award: https://t.co/lzniSVU7fh

— Namita Bhandare (@namitabhandare) November 5, 2015

Arundhati Roy slams it again: Why I am returning my award https://t.co/8aatpMq46Q via @sharethis

— Dan Husain (@DanHusain) November 5, 2015

Best one by Arundhati Roy. "Censorship has been outsourced to the mob."

— ETHICAL STALKER (@PsychographEd) November 5, 2015

Now, sample of the more acerbic ones that had a good laugh at Roy's expense.

Whatever Arundhati Roy says, turn it around 180 degrees and believe that. You will be pretty close to the truth.

— Gappistan Radio (@GappistanRadio) November 5, 2015

But of course, Arundhati Roy finds an award she won in 1989 to return. I am inspired now to return the scholar badge I won at DPS in Class 6

— Amreekan Desi (@amreekandesi) November 5, 2015

Uff.... Arundhati Roy joins @AwardWapsi https://t.co/IJND1EwS8e To adapt PuLa's expression, Saraswati dances on her keyboard.

— Wildcard Vidyut (@Vidyut) November 5, 2015

Suzanna Arundhati Roy is neice of Prannoy Roy (CEO of NDTV) Prannoy Roy is married to Radhika Roy Radhika Roy is sister of Brinda Karat CPIM

— Hrishikesh Thaker (@HrishikeshThake) November 4, 2015

Swaminathan Aiyar is a good economist. Arundhati Roy is a good writer. Narayana Murthy is a good enterpreneur. All are terrible in politics.

— Avinash Shishoo (@laidback1954) October 31, 2015

I think we should trend a hash tag called #MarriageMixUp. Like modi is married to Arundhati Roy Rupa married to Sakshi Maharaj

— Brumby گوشت خور (@brownbrumby) November 5, 2015

We need to Keep this issue alive till last day of voting -Arundhati Roy pic.twitter.com/kzKS4XYqRX

— SamDean (@rssharmaetah) November 5, 2015

Now with the anti-national Arundhati Roy joining the #AwardsWapsi brigade, the movement loses whatever little credibility it had.

— Hari Ravikumar (@hari_ravikumar) November 5, 2015

"Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims and Christians...forced to live in terror" – Arundhati Roy returns award, attacks Hindus https://t.co/vqsEehCATy

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) November 5, 2015