Tathagata Roy holds a box containing soil from his native place in Bangladesh. (Express photo by Partha Paul) Tathagata Roy holds a box containing soil from his native place in Bangladesh. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy speaks with Ravik Bhattacharya and Santanu Chowdhury about his tweet that courted controversy, and on his leave, which sparked rumours. Excerpts:

It is rumoured that you have been asked to go on leave after one of your controversial tweets. Is it true?

Governors are entitled to take 20 days’ leave per year. As I had not utilised all my leaves, I have taken leave at the end of this year. You are free to interpret (it) as you may seem fit.

You tweeted, “Two things should never be lost sight of in the present atmosphere of controversy. 1. The country was once divided in the name of religion. 2. A democracy is NECESSARILY DIVISIVE. If you dont want it go to North Korea.” Do you stand by that tweet?

Of course I stand by that tweet. What I said in the tweet is that a democracy is necessarily divisive. Those who don’t like it may go to North Korea. Why did I say it?…. North Korea is a country which is polar opposite of divisive. But if you are living in a democracy like India, then you can have a different opinion from what the government is saying, or what the opposition party is saying. Is this not divisiveness?

It is divisive in the US between the Democrats and Republicans; (and) in the UK between the Conservative and the Labour. It it not divisive in China, and not divisive in North Korea. It was not divisive in erstwhile USSR.

Read | Controversially unapologetic: Tathagata Roy’s most provoking statements

Do you think your tweet was misinterpreted?

Now, if this is not understood what can I do? But the point is that it is infantile to suggest that I had been a victim of this tweet. The effect of a tweet lasts at the most two days.

There was some protest in Meghalaya regarding you (as Governor) delaying the amended Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act.

That is true, and I am not going to discuss this. This is on the anvil and may be it will…subject to further discussion with the state government, and possibly with the Central government. So I will not say anything further on this.

You get frequently criticised by people on social media. People say you are anti-Muslim and that you are trying to spread hatred. How do you feel about it?

I am not anti-Muslim, although I have reason to be anti-Muslim. My compatriots, that is the Hindus of East Bengal [present-day Bangladesh], have been driven out for the crime of not being Muslim. In spite of this I am not anti-Muslim. My most favourite Bengali prose writer is Syed Mujtaba Ali, and right now my favourite singer is Rezwana Choudhury Bannya.

But I am anti-anti-Hindus (that is, opposed to anti-Hindus). There are several anti-Hindus among Muslims, but the worst anti-Hindus are among Hindus.

There have been several run-ins between West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mamata Banerjee’s government. How do you see this?

He (Dhankhar) has been severely wronged, insulted, not given due importance or respect by different parties. I do not appreciate what has been done to him and I sympathise completely with him. He is a fellow Governor and on merits he has been consistently right. He may be a nominal head of the state but he is still head of the state.

How do you see the unrest across the country on the Citizenship Amendment Act?

It is contrived, politically motivated, and it is dying down. CAA was duly introduced in both Houses of Parliament and duly passed. Now any political party…failed to block that Act [Bill] because it did not have the mandate of the people. They are now trying to go in a roundabout way…in an unconstitutional way, and trying to block the Act by burning buses and trains. This is deliberate and should call for the most stringent punishment as per India Penal Code.

Do you think all such protests are politically motivated?

There has to be a motivation. Motivation can be political, religious and nationalism. In this case, it is certainly not nationalism. Anybody who is destroying national properties is not driven by nationalism. I have said it is political — whether it is religious or not, you can draw your own conclusions.

What about the deaths during such protests?

It is extremely unfortunate, but when people try to wage a war against the country, some casualties are inevitable.

When are you getting back to your office in Shillong?

I have certain social engagements, and I have to do some house-hunting. I will get back to Shillong on January 4 – I have four to five months’ time left as Governor to complete five years (on May 20).

What are your plans after that?

On May 20, I will complete five years (as Meghalaya Governor). There are several plans. I would like to come back to active politics, depending on the state of my health or popular perception of the state of my health. If it is not possible I shall do a fair amount of writing. But given a chance, I would like to do both.

You have been writing very directly and a large number of your tweets have been interpreted as anti-Muslims by a section of the people.

It is a democratic country and people are free to write, wish and interpret the way they like. I am not responsible for that. This country is blessed because they (people) have that liberty.

The Opposition has alleged that being in a constitutional post a Governor cannot post such tweets or make direct references to any political outfit or community.

They can allege anything. That does not affect me. They have the freedom to say what they want. Whatever I have tweeted so far has nothing to do with politics. My tweets focus on political theory, history, but not with day-to-day politics. I am not bound by their dictum.

If they are expecting that all Governors are manufactured in an industry according to strict quality-control procedures, then I am not one of them. No Governor is bound by anything other than the Constitution.

In a tweet earlier this year you had shared a tweet of a retired colonel appealing to the people to not visit Kashmir and not visit Amarnath for the next two years.

That is someone else’s tweet I had shared and said I incline to agree. The retired colonel has talked about it and I shared his views.

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