Arundhati Roy faces prosecution over 2010 Kashmir remarks as Indian authorities revive sedition case

Indian authorities have approved the prosecution of author Arundhati Roy and former professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for comments made in 2010. The case stems from a panel discussion where Roy suggested Kashmir was not an integral part of India, prompting a criminal complaint that remained dormant for over a decade until Delhi official VK Saxena revived it last October. More than 200 Indian academics, activists, and journalists have signed an open letter demanding the government withdraw the prosecution, arguing Roy's statements did not incite violence. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha farmer coalition has expressed support for Roy, with protests occurring in Delhi and Bengaluru. Roy, who won the 1997 Booker Prize for 'The God of Small Things,' addressed Kashmir in her 2020 book 'Azadi,' whose title references the Urdu word for freedom chanted by those opposing Indian rule. The permissions could lead to immediate arrest for both individuals. Kashmir remains a highly sensitive topic in India, with Narendra Modi's government asserting full authority over the region, a claim also made by Pakistan.