Democratic Institutions And Fascism: A Critique Of Ramachandra Guha
By V. Arun Kumar
26 March, 2014
Countercurrents.org
“The tradition of the oppressed teaches us that the 'state of emergency' in which we live is not the exception but the rule.”
Walter Benjamin
Ramachandra Guha’s article The Fear of Fascism argues that India's democratic institutions are too strong to let fascists win. But the matter of the fact is that the "strong democratic institution" in this country itself is saffron [Hindutva] flavoured. From legislative to judiciary to executive and from military to police everywhere the colour of Hindutva is visible. Guha somewhere forgets the role of hegemony. Hindutva as an ideology is successful in giving saffron odour to the democratic institutions of this country. Through the process of cultural hegemony and the use of saffron coloured intellectuals combined with its hatred propaganda, Hindutva fascist forces are trying to establish and strengthen their base in this country.
As Benjamin had said, “we always live in a state of emergency”. It is that we don’t recognize it until the ‘state of emergency’ comes in open. One look at the history of the oppressed in this country will magnify the scale of emergency in which we live in, but unfortunately we rarely recognize it. For historians like Guha, who are more interested in the history of the victors, it is very easy to say that “I am myself a Hindu and a patriot….and I love my country” and belittle the fear of fascism as “premature and unfortunate alarming”. Historians like Guha can easily sit back and check whether Modi’s regime will see manifestation of the “state of emergency” or not; but those who are already suffering can’t. Because, it is not the “Hindu and Patriot” people like Guha who are going to suffer; it is the oppressed who continue to live in the state of oppression. Let us remind Guha, in case he had forgotten about the “strong democratic institutions” of this country which decided to happily bow in front of Hindutva brigade during 2002 Gujarat genocide. Let us remind him of other numerous genocides and massacres during which the “strong democratic institutions” either went to sleep or actively helped the perpetrators of crime.
It seems Guha have never tired to read the history of Italian fascism. Italy saw the world’s first fascist government in power (democratically!). The fascists in early stages of their stint in power never entirely suppressed the democratic institutions. What they did was the manipulation of these institutions according to their needs. Even the Italian communist members used to sit in the fascist dominated parliament and communists like Gramsci severely opposed Mussolini’s fascist polices in parliamentary debates. The fascism in its brutal force only manifested in the autumn of 1926 when Mussolini brought in the “state of emergency” (on pretext of an alleged attempt on his life) and suppressed all kinds of freedom and dissent. Until then Mussolini’s fascism was limited to murder of political rivals and trying to create a strong foundation for itself. And what followed after that is what we now recognize as darkest period of twentieth century. So, will Guha’s intellectual inquiry about the “fear of fascism” only be satisfied when Modi brings in the real “state in emergency”?
Hindutva forces in this country have also clearly managed to seep into the minds of the masses to a large extent. The frustration in the society due to economic instability and corruption have helped the Hindutva forces to rejuvenate the traditional Hinduism and turning it into a political base. To what extent they have done it can only be understood once the elections are over. AAP which came in the nick of time and utilized the frustration in the society may have slowed down the degradation of the society towards Hindutva, but has not been able to stop it. AAP may be able to act as a dam in the flow of Hindutva fascism, but for sure one day Hindutva will break this.
The emergence of AAP with its reformist policies has actually accelerated the blurring of much needed revolutionary base to counter fascist Hindutva elements in the society. Mainstream ‘left’ wing parties like CPI (M) and CPI have somewhere abandoned their revolutionary ideas for reformist polices to satisfy their infatuation for power and has also immensely contributed in the failure to stop the Hindutva fascism from emerging.
I am not sure whether Modi will turn into a Hitler or not, but for sure his mind is a fascist one. And its better this fascist mind never comes to power. No promises of reform can help to stop the tide of Hindutva fascism from taking over the society. The need of the hour is creation of a revolutionary base (which of course is time taking and requires consistent effort) through conscious workers’ struggle. Or else sooner or later the Hindutva forces will gain strength and the tide will even carry away the “democratic institutions” of this country. And this will, as Rosa Luxemburg said “result in humanity's downward slide into barbarism".
Ramachandra Guha’s article “The fear of fascism” :
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140322/jsp/opinion/story_18095590.jsp#.UzJn3_ldWrD
V. Arun Kumar is a left wing political activist and a student of Masters in International Relations in South Asian University, New Delhi. He can be reached at [email protected]
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