‘Doing Nothing’ And Averting A Right Wing Take Over
By Joe M S
29 January, 2014
Countercurrents.org
An opinion is being created that the best possible option to avoid a take over of the country by Narendra Modi is to blindly support Aam Admi party and that all those who champion the cause of African women meted out with racism are left wing utopians who prevent the chance of an easy walk over for Kejrival and therefore are anti- progressive forces. This view, smacks of a lack of historical understanding of the economic basis of development of fascism. A couple of years back, it was the policy of then powerful CPIM to adhere to this view and supporting Congress, being the biggest secular formation, as the only alternative to BJP. This policy backfired. Commenting on this, Prabhat Patnaik rightly observed even then that, unless the economic circumstances which, paves the way for the growth of fascism is addressed and mere electoral adjustments and makeshift arrangement in governance is relied on as a panacea, it is bound to fail, which has been proved right. Taking a cue from this, it is high time to answer AAP defenders who pose as the only alternative to Modi, that a right wing take over is not just confined to electoral victory, and that , it is a systematic long drawn out politics which is going to payoff.
AAP defenders also ridicule leftwing of various hues , wether it is CPIM ,CPIML liberation, Sanhati, or DSU, that their harsh criticism only strengthens Modi and its corporate backers. This argument does not stand, since it expects that till their loftiest mission is achieved one should turn a blind eye to their errors. Form or path is equally important as ends, and one cannot be , in a democratic set up, exempted from a critical eye. AAP defenders are also ridiculing the sloganeering and criticism of the left, as utopian , ineffective and exhorts them to do something or let them not be disturbed who are out to do something. This reeks of an instrumentalist view of doing or action. As Zizek correctly observed, doing or an instrumentalist understanding of posing as anti-systemic , is the bane of the hour. Accordingly, there is no dearth of anti-corporatist to anti capitalist from Hollywood to best sellers, who ultimately rejuvenates the system, without any overhauling changes. There fore, I think, criticism or sloganeering posture of the leftist, even if it amounts to doing nothing or utopianism, is itself symbolically important, when an instrumentalist doing itself has lost all relevance. Remember that a pro-corporate commentator on NDTV like Mr.Surjith Bhalla himself has called the AAP many times in the past, the Indian tea party.
As for the AAP defenders view that racism is, whether from a mohalla or other places, has to be socially understood , I beg to differ. An understanding of racism does not mean that it should not be opposed. I myself has experienced both white and Indian racism in various forms in different parts of the world. European white racism, again to paraphrase Zizek, is majorly a kind of working class gone astray. Its historical roots and sociological reason has to be understood which is because of economic deprivation. But it is also a failure of the left to win them over. One could also witness the paradox of xenophobic racist confessing like a sociologist how his own deprivations, spurred him on to be what he is. Having said that, though an understanding of the said phenomenon where a comprehension of the sociology of perpetrators psyche is worth for the left, it does not mean that one should not call a spade a spade for what it is. In other words, to look bluntly on racist behaviour for what it is, and protesting against it, as has been practiced all over the world, is part of the process of social change, in fact an educative process for both sides, as has been proven by Martin Luther King and Malcolm X to various socialist groups. So as Ambedkar has clearly pointed out, mohallas continue to host the most dangerous ideologies of caste, patriarchy and various other prejudices which can trample justice. There fore, binaries like majoritarian localism vs the other do exist in India and protesting against it is righteous.
Joe M S, is a social science teacher from Kerala. Worked in various places of India, now residing in Ireland.
Comments are moderated