India, liberal democracy and the extreme right ( book notes)

 India, liberal democracy and the extreme right. 

Aijaz Ahmed

This book is a scary analysis of the growth of RSS and the general rightward shift of liberalism or the political spectrum in India.

He analyses the growth of RSS and Hindutva nationalism as Gramscian in terms of building an idealogical discourse that is sustainable. The robust and almost military like vertical structure of RSS binds and executes its Idealogy through fringe elements taking no direct responsibility for anything outside of law, while penetrating all pillars of the liberal democracy from within.

Since Hindutva agenda has acheived political and Idealogical legitimacy, He says it doesn't have to resort to the fascist tactics of the early 20th century to ascertain it's supremacy. An arrest here, a lynching there is sufficient to ensure the nipping in the bud of any real discontent. 

In the process Aijaz Ahmed says, the liberal discourse itself has seen a rightward shift, as seen from the electoral coalition of all major parties with the BJP except ofcourse the left.

By using the liberal democratic structure to legitimise it's discourse, Aijaz Ahmer implies that without a revolutionary upheavel the Hindutva discourse is here to say. Not just that, Neo liberalism has found in nation states like ours and elsewhere the perfect companion to unleash unbriddled exploitation. He says "What globalised neo-liberalism wants is a state that is weak in relation to capital, and ruthlessly strong in relation to labour". The hurried passing of the labour and farm laws is one such example. 

With the Hindutva/RSS hegemony in place in almost all of India ( no TN or Kerala are not exceptions either) and the legitimacy of its political face the BJP, there is no real way out of this except a revolutionary left movement that is probably divorced from parliamentary politics. 

The last part of the book are excerpts from an interview where he in absolute terms sets up the agenda for the left.

I wil quote his own words

"Having said that, I do want to stress three things about the left in India. One, it commands a level of political experience and organisational depth that is quite unmatched. 

 Second, the left is the only force in India that has a coherent vision and a comprehensive social understanding from the standpoint of the poor and the working class as a whole. 

 

Third, the left in India has an extraordinary presence in the intellectual and artistic life of the country; no other political force comes anywhere near. 

The basic resources are still there, even though the beginning of a reconstruction will now require tremendous audacity "

I think we need to counter the hindutva hegemony with Marxist theory. 

My left alignment was by chance, but Marxist literature has kept me left and it had continously built in me the want for changing the system. I think We need to give that idealogical impetus to the left and left sympathisers as well, sort of counter Hindutva with scientific socialism.

We could talk all day long about the evils of Hindutva, but at the end of the day, Congress wouldn't be afraid to take a similar stand for the votes. Of course we make temporary alliances to stop the juggernaut, but unless we become the force ourselves, the juggernaut is going to roll over and for good. Like Aijaz Ahmed says, we have the resources, we have the people, but we need to talk socialism now.

We need that audacity now more than ever.