Since we were talking about art and artists, let me tell you the finest and greatest mind of our times in South Asia.
We have seen actors and actresses. They come and go but some keep on hanging up as long as they can, pretending to look young and sexy while forgetting how sexy is being in 40s and 50s and 60s is.
Now we have a huge lot of TikTokers too with thousands and millions of followers. It’s fine. They all have the right to make content and share publicly as well as they please. Just like everyone has a right to be a YouTuber. After all, they are all artists even if you hate or disagree with some of them.
Then we have singers. Big ones. Great ones.
But there is one art that is above all other forms. That is the art of writing. The one since the sapiens started to hold a pen.
Manuscripts. Holy scriptures. Holy books. Compilations. All writings. All miracles of words. This art of writing is the one above all – at least for me.
This art of writing presents the codes. Like Hammurabi’s code of law. Like constitutions. Like practice and procedures in different organizations. A little word here and there and the whole context puts generations into disarray.
We have classic writers. Big names. Not going to name a single because it may undermine others.
Similarly, we have modern writers. Again, not going to name anyone specifically.
Then we have beautiful and amazing writers in the Sub-Continent too. We usually undermine them because of our complexes. But even with those complexes, there are some writers who astonish us with their words, writings, and messages.
So. Going to name the one I think is the best writer, the best mind, the best explorative brain, and a fine human being who always stands on the right side of every single trial she sees. She doesn’t mince words. She doesn’t care about the consequences. She keeps on writing. She keeps on speaking. She keeps her head high and doesn’t cover it with a mask.
And that is Arundhati Roy.
The one writer who is perhaps the best artist of the Sub-Continent. At least in our times.
Because we have seen big writers siding with the governments for vested interests. Or we have seen the writers coming out of the governments after enjoying benefits and privileges to make a legacy. But she didn’t sit with them. She never sided with the government. Her only side has always been people. People here, people there, and people everywhere.
In the cruel world we live in, if you have listened to the best singers and have seen the best players in sports and have watched the best actors / actresses but haven’t read Arundhati Roy – the best writer of our land… then you have missed almost missed the best art already.
One more thing.
For ladies of our land.
With Arundhati Roy from India and Asma Jahangir from Pakistan, you don’t really need any other argument to make comparative analysis with the other gender. Your gender is clearly ahead of us men. You have won already. That’s why we put all our energies in the art of sports where we can use our masculinity for commercial reasons.
