[Reader-list] Proud of a notion

[taraprakash]

Hi all. The below article is perhaps the result of the kerla CM belonging to 
CPI(M) a party which is increasingly turning feudal. The left space in India 
has been hijacked by this party and now whatever party will do, even if 
attack the peasants and ordinary workers, the right wing media will 
conveniently have the left to write articles about.
The author of the below article says, "the Left carries the intellectual 
baggage of Marxist internationalism" that comment is sadly so untrue in the 
context of left in India (even left without CPIM) The left discourse in 
India is increasingly turning to parochial interests, except ocasional 
America bashing. The exception, if any, are very few.
The author sadly made this wrong claim and for the evidence he had this to 
say, "interventions for Sourav Ganguly by Bengal CPM leaders speak of a 
deeper, quasi-chauvinistic impulse." Does it also speak for "Marxist 
internationalism"?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pawan Durani" <pawan.durani at gmail.com>
To: <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 2:25 AM
Subject: [Reader-list] Proud of a notion


> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/proud-of-a-notion/393506/
>
> If one can hopefully treat the Kerala chief minister's remarks as a
> one-off, the Mumbai tragedy has seen the continuation of the Left's
> efforts, including earlier ones by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, to find a
> niche in the nationalist narrative. There was a time the Left was at
> best indifferent to what are broadly called national security matters
> or stories of patriotism. Recall the dismissive Left attitude to the
> investigation into the 1998 Coimbatore blasts. Marxists then sounded
> as if concerns over targeting senior political figures was just
> over-excited bunkum. That is why CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat's
> reference to Achuthanandan's "homage" to Sandeep Unnikrishnan is
> important. Clearly, the Left's attitude to the armed forces and
> national security is changing. But the Left's efforts are hobbled by
> three problems.
>
> First, the Left carries the intellectual baggage of Marxist
> internationalism. This has been discarded almost everywhere. But what
> Raul Castro doesn't want to talk about and China's ultra-nationalist
> communists hold in contempt still excites Left politicians in India.
> The second reason why the Left seldom sounds convincing in its
> periodic articulation of the idea of India is also thanks to theory.
>
> The "thinkers" in Delhi continue to be deeply suspicious of what they
> see as the nationalist project of "privileged classes". This theory
> comes up against two realities. Contrary to Marxist profundities,
> material conditions never wholly explain the alchemy of nationalism.
> Also, prosperity is increasing in India. Millions of people have been
> added to what is described roughly as the middle class, and in rural
> India the insufficient presence and therefore the hunger for, not
> indifference to, modernity set the social and political context. Class
> matters (so do, sadly, caste and religion), but what matters most is
> the demand for a ticket to modern India.
>
> The third problem with leftist attempts to speak authoritatively for
> India comes from praxis. The Left's electoral geography in India
> disincentivises a pan-national political view. Bengal and Kerala,
> mercifully, haven't been terrorist targets and so until recently the
> Left's responses to Terror lacked energy. Indeed, the Left has been
> more energetic on sub-nationalism — the Bengal CPM has in many ways
> articulated "Bengali" grievances against "centres of power". The silly
> interventions for Sourav Ganguly by Bengal CPM leaders speak of a
> deeper, quasi-chauvinistic impulse. The neglect in taking on extremist
> groups operating from Kerala is a more worrisome manifestation. It is
> in India's interest of course that the Left find a better nationalist
> voice. But it is even more in the Left's interest
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