NEW DELHI: Academic-activists Noam Chomsky and Vijay Prashad issued a joint statement saying their dialogue was cancelled by the Mumbai Tata Lit Fest citing ‘unforeseen circumstances’.
The duo were supposed to participate in a dialogue about Chomsky’s new book Internationalism or Extinction.
They were to discuss “the dangers of nuclear war, climate catastrophe, erosion of democracy”, according to the statement.
“We were going to talk about the broad issues that threaten the planet, but then also talk about the specific role of countries such as India and corporations such as the Tatas,” said the statement.
“We wanted to talk about how governments such as those led by the BJP and corporations such as the Tatas are hastening humanity towards a deeper and deeper crisis.” The statement raised concerns on the issue of ‘erosion of democracy’ in India.
Citing instances of Tata’s “atrocious ways”, the statement said, “Regarding the Tatas, we wanted to put on record a few facts that should lead sensitive people to understand what the company has underneath its fingernails: a role in the killing of adivasis who were peacefully protesting the construction of a Tata steel factory in Kalinga Nagar, Odisha, in 2006; the use of private militias to terrorise the population for a planned Tata steel factory in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, about 10 years ago; the use of Tata Advanced Systems weapons by the Indian forces against the people of Kashmir; and Tata Steel’s release of hexavalent chromium into water sources has created the fourth most polluted place on the planet in Sukinda, Odisha.”
Following the abrupt cancellation of the session, author Roshan Ali pulled out of the festival.
“I can’t in good conscience take part in a festival that lets its sponsors dictate who can or can’t speak or what can and cannot be said...,” he tweeted.
This organisers didn’t respond to a query by TSS.