"My question deals with some of the material from the two series: 'Views on Socialism and
Communism' and 'The Basis, The Goals and the Methods of the Communist Revolution.'
"I've been thinking about two things: One is a statement by Arundhati Roy in an
interview where she basically said (this is paraphrasing), 'I support the Maoists in India even though
I would probably be the first person they would kill.' Second I've also been thinking about this in
relation to the need to make a distinction as you've emphasized between those who are actively plotting
to overthrow the socialist state and those who are just dissenting or even vehemently opposed to it, but
not actively plotting to overthrow it.
"My question is – taking into account the socialist experience and the very
secondary aspect where Arundhati Roy might have a point based on what happened in China and also taking
into account the particularity of India and the particularities of this country: what should communists
say to the Arundhati Roys of the world in relation to this contradiction and why should they believe us?"
