BRAVO,ARUNDHATI!

It's not unnatural -indeed very characteristic of her -for Arundhati Roy that she has declined this year's Sahitya Akademi award. She says she can't accept the honour from an institution linked to the government whose policies she oppose.

"Even if you know what is going on, you can't help thinking India is the cool plcae now. Bollywood is 'in' and all of us have mobile phones. But it is almost as if the light is shining so brightly that you do not notice the darkness."

MRINAL BOSE
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