Broken Republic

"It is a brazen war. A war not only on the Maoists, but on all those who live off the land."

In Broken Republic, Arundhati Roy presents three searing essays—“Mr Chidambaram’s War,” “Walking With The Comrades,” and “Trickledown Revolution”—that explore the growing disconnect between the Indian state and its most vulnerable citizens. With her signature clarity and courage, Roy gives voice to the displaced, the demonized, and the disappeared.

This isn’t just a book about tribal struggles or Maoist insurgency—though both are explored in depth. It’s about the price of unregulated capitalism, where mining companies and political leaders team up to wage war—not against terrorists, but against indigenous people protecting their homes, forests, and futures.

Roy walks with the rebels in the heart of the Dandakaranya forest. She talks to Adivasi families, hears their songs, and sees their scars. Through these vivid accounts, she unmasks the government’s Operation Green Hunt for what it is—a corporate land grab cloaked in national security rhetoric.

But the essays don’t just indict the state. They ask urgent, global questions: Who owns natural resources? Who decides what counts as “development”? And how long can democracy survive when it turns against its poorest citizens?

Broken Republic is not academic. It’s ground reporting fused with literary activism. It’s angry, it’s lyrical, and it refuses to look away. A must-read for anyone who still believes in justice—or wants to.

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