Hello. A recent decision to allow prosecution of writer Arundhati Roy over remarks that she made in 2010 has raised eyebrows in India. Soutik Biswas explains the 14-year-long controversy. Caitlin Wilson is reporting from a hearing in Capitol Hill, during which Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun apologised to the relatives of the victims of two crashes involving the manufacturer's planes. We're also bringing you an update about McDonald's artificial intelligence trial, and look into Japan's food waste problem.

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Writer faces trial under anti-terror law

Ms Roy has been an outspoken critic of Narendra Modi's government. Credit: AFP

Award-winning writer Arundhati Roy is facing prosecution under India’s stringent anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The go-ahead to prosecute came 14 years after the original complaint about remarks she made at a conference. The God of Small Things author has declined to comment on the latest development.

What did Ms Roy say that led to the complaint?

Ms Roy is in the dock for comments on Kashmir, a perennial lightning rod in India. “Kashmir has never been an integral part of India. It is a historical fact. Even the Indian government has accepted this,” she said at a conference in Delhi, organised by the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, in October 2010.

What inspired that comment?

At the time, Indian-administered Kashmir was in turmoil, with locals describing it as a fierce uprising against India. Ms Roy's remarks had followed the deaths of dozens of protesters since fresh pro-freedom demonstrations broke out earlier that year. India and neighbouring Pakistan, nuclear armed-rivals, claim the disputed region in full and have fought two wars over it.

What was the reaction at the time?

Ms Roy’s remarks set off a firestorm of protest, with many critics questioning her loyalty to India, and the federal government, then led by the Congress party, threatening to arrest her on charges of sedition. There were protests outside Ms Roy's home in an upscale Delhi neighbourhood. A criminal complaint was lodged against her and another defendant Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a law teacher from Kashmir, accusing them and two others of sedition.

• Press crackdown: In 2023, Yogita Limaye investigated accusations against the Indian government that it was running a sinister and systematic campaign to intimidate and silence journalists in Kashmir. 

• Asif Sultan: The Kashmir-based journalist was arrested under the UAPA in 2018. In February, he was released for a couple of hours before he was re-arrested.

• Varavara Rao: The Maoist ideologue and poet was granted bail on medical grounds in 2022 after being arrested under the UAPA in 2018.

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