Article by MN Ravunni
[This article is an abridged version of a paper presented at a VIRASAM Conference, both Porattam and VIRASAM are revolutionary cultural organisations]
Unlike the early period of Congress rule under Nehru, we are in a very complex and alarming situation. This situation is inflicted upon us by the Brahminical fascist forces of RSS-BJP Sangh Parivar. We can’t mark a single day on which we did not witness one or the other inhuman crime or suppression of human rights by the Saffron fascists. Every sector of the government and every aspect of our society is infiltrated or influenced by the Brahminical fascist forces and their ideology in a massive manner as never before. Hence I dare to say, nowadays Brahminical fascism is not just a trend. It has become a dangerous fact. We must also keep in mind an important matter. Though quite different from the liberal stance of the Gandhi-Nehru period, that too was grounded in Brahminism.
Education was it’s prime prey. The influence of Brahminical fascism in the field of art and literature is increasing day by day. This has happened not only after 2014, the year that the Sangh Parivar came to power. They have been very cautiously, steadily and gradually making progress in all aspects of our society and life. It’s presence is visible in every part of our society.
After 2014, of course under Modi rule, it’s influence has increased in the army and bureaucracy. Utilising this power, it’s dominance in the judiciary too has been accentuated. Hence the present situation we confront.
Education was it’s prime prey. The influence of Brahminical fascism in the field of art and literature is increasing day by day. This has happened not only after 2014, the year that the Sangh Parivar came to power. They have been very cautiously, steadily and gradually making progress in all aspects of our society and life. It’s presence is visible in every part of our society.
After 2014, of course under Modi rule, it’s influence has increased in the army and bureaucracy. Utilising this power, it’s dominance in the judiciary too has been accentuated. Hence the present situation we confront.
It is high time to face up to it and defeat it. The mere talk of parliamentary politicians or their lamentations about secularism, democracy, rights of states and the dangers to federalism will not do. No doubt all these are in peril. Even when the very Constitution of India, with all it’s weaknesses, is in threat, then what to say about other things. Opposition parties are not serious in confronting brahminical fascism.
They want to defeat the Sangh Parivar by unseating it in the coming parliamentary election. All the oppositon parties are in an unholy alliance to encash the urge of the people, particularly the religious minorities, adivasis and dalits, for democracy. These sections of people constitute more than 85% of India’s population. The fact that the Sangh Parivar fascists were making headway even when they were out of power is criminally veiled. The fact is that the governments of these parliamentary parties only made the way easy for them. Then how to ensure a final defeat of these fascists and realise genuine democracy and federalism in India?
We should also take lessons from Sangh Parivar forces, as a good negative teacher. We have discussed above how they have managed their way systematically and gained domination in the cultural and other fields.
Why do we call the Sangh Parivar fascist? Firstly it is guided by an aggressive Brahminical ideology. As we all know, Brahminical ideology has a long history of suppression, centralism and violence, through which it reached the present stage. It’s roots lie in Vedic period. We know how Vedic forces eradicated Lokayathas [Charvakas], Samkhya and Nyaya-Vaiseshika. How Buddhist monks were treated by Brahminism and what happened to Buddhism is evident. We know how Brahminism gave birth to the varna system. We also know that how the varna doctrine defines the four varnas and the role played by Brahminism in creating caste divisions in society and legitimising exploitation and suppression. Brahminism always stood for the idea of “Na sthri swathanthriyam arhathi”, untouchability, ritual puritanism, centralization of power and wealth. They have used violence mercilessly to create and maintain this Brahminical order.
They want to defeat the Sangh Parivar by unseating it in the coming parliamentary election. All the oppositon parties are in an unholy alliance to encash the urge of the people, particularly the religious minorities, adivasis and dalits, for democracy. These sections of people constitute more than 85% of India’s population. The fact that the Sangh Parivar fascists were making headway even when they were out of power is criminally veiled. The fact is that the governments of these parliamentary parties only made the way easy for them. Then how to ensure a final defeat of these fascists and realise genuine democracy and federalism in India?
We should also take lessons from Sangh Parivar forces, as a good negative teacher. We have discussed above how they have managed their way systematically and gained domination in the cultural and other fields.
Why do we call the Sangh Parivar fascist? Firstly it is guided by an aggressive Brahminical ideology. As we all know, Brahminical ideology has a long history of suppression, centralism and violence, through which it reached the present stage. It’s roots lie in Vedic period. We know how Vedic forces eradicated Lokayathas [Charvakas], Samkhya and Nyaya-Vaiseshika. How Buddhist monks were treated by Brahminism and what happened to Buddhism is evident. We know how Brahminism gave birth to the varna system. We also know that how the varna doctrine defines the four varnas and the role played by Brahminism in creating caste divisions in society and legitimising exploitation and suppression. Brahminism always stood for the idea of “Na sthri swathanthriyam arhathi”, untouchability, ritual puritanism, centralization of power and wealth. They have used violence mercilessly to create and maintain this Brahminical order.
There is a verse in Rigveda which describes the ritual to be followed when a Brahmin dies. The person on the death bed would hand over his bow and arrows to the next person and would say “With this bow and arrows we won all our wealth. With this bow and arrows we own all the cows. With this bow and arrow we own all the women ”. So one can imagine how non-violent they were and how kind & honest they were. Does one need any more evidence for the cruelty and dishonesty the Brahminical forces adopted to establish their domination economically, socially and politically? Hence their tall talk of “loka samastho sukhino bhavanthu” and “Sanathana Dharma” is nothing but demagogy and hoodwinking with false utterances.
Brahminism is out and out an intrinsically aggressive and undemocratic ideology. It is against freedom and equality of people. Their works, the Mahabharatha, Ramayana, Bhagavadgeetha and Manusmruthi etc were meant to propagate and justify all these crimes against the people. Intolerance, hate, domination and violence against other people have always been the overriding traits of Brahminism. Brahminism practiced servitude. The root of it’s servitude towards British colonialism is exposed here.
For generations, people were infected by pernicious ideas of obscurantism. From birth to death one is infused with superstition, meaningless rituals and practices. So a peculiar mental makeup is being created among the people. A particular ‘sense’ and a way of life is created accordingly. This becomes a fertile soil and creates favourable conditions to further the Brahminical fascist domination. To strengthen these conditions and further it’s exploitation Brahminical fascists strive continuously to tie the people to the stump of superstitions and myths. Hence the fascist forces plant myths not only in beautiful constructions but also in the minds.
So what about the defeat of Brahminism and liberation of people from it’s tentacles? First of all, we have to understand that this goes beyond unseating the RSS-BJP from government through elections. Since Brahminism is the ideology of the Indian state, unseating a government alone will not do. It amounts to putting out a fire half way or killing a snake partially. Rather, what needs to be done is digging a grave and burying venomous Brahminism, which gave birth to and defends all the evils mentioned earlier. Hence we have to start with remoulding the mental makeup of the people with scientific thoughts, imbibing them with democratic, secular ideas and the sense of equality.
Brahminism is out and out an intrinsically aggressive and undemocratic ideology. It is against freedom and equality of people. Their works, the Mahabharatha, Ramayana, Bhagavadgeetha and Manusmruthi etc were meant to propagate and justify all these crimes against the people. Intolerance, hate, domination and violence against other people have always been the overriding traits of Brahminism. Brahminism practiced servitude. The root of it’s servitude towards British colonialism is exposed here.
For generations, people were infected by pernicious ideas of obscurantism. From birth to death one is infused with superstition, meaningless rituals and practices. So a peculiar mental makeup is being created among the people. A particular ‘sense’ and a way of life is created accordingly. This becomes a fertile soil and creates favourable conditions to further the Brahminical fascist domination. To strengthen these conditions and further it’s exploitation Brahminical fascists strive continuously to tie the people to the stump of superstitions and myths. Hence the fascist forces plant myths not only in beautiful constructions but also in the minds.
So what about the defeat of Brahminism and liberation of people from it’s tentacles? First of all, we have to understand that this goes beyond unseating the RSS-BJP from government through elections. Since Brahminism is the ideology of the Indian state, unseating a government alone will not do. It amounts to putting out a fire half way or killing a snake partially. Rather, what needs to be done is digging a grave and burying venomous Brahminism, which gave birth to and defends all the evils mentioned earlier. Hence we have to start with remoulding the mental makeup of the people with scientific thoughts, imbibing them with democratic, secular ideas and the sense of equality.
We must not forget that the urge of the people for democracy and their discontent with religious partisanship and the divisive mechanisms of Brahminical fascism also provide favourable conditions to boldly plunge among the people and arouse them with anti-Brahminical ideas. This will pave the way to expose, isolate and defeat it. We have to initiate a powerful and relentless campaign from our own homes, starting with our own children. Let the pens stir in this direction. Let short stories, novels, poems, dramas, street plays and various forms of art take birth in order to create a sphere of scientific thinking and a new “common conscience”. We have to recapture the cultural sphere and recast it.
History teaches us that all serious endevours to transform the society preceded with intervention in the superstructure. Hence in our case too it cannot but be otherwise. To ensure the final defeat of Brahminical fascism we have to start first from ideological propaganda. We have to thoroughly and completely expose the falsity and the vicious anti democratic scheme of Brehminism…..
This movement should be up and going, along with the struggles to demolish the economic base of Brahminical fascism. What is the economic base of Brahminical fascism? It is nothing but a reformed semi-feudal and semi-colonial one. So cultural activism must keep pace with the anti-feudal and anti-imperialist struggles in general. This demands a broad united front and different forums of cultural activism.
It is evident that Brahminism and its fascism developed through practices and thinking opposed to the interests of this general mass of people. That makes the way easier for us. But here we need, a method of correct handling of contradictions among the people. First we have to unite with the majority to defeat the few. Within this majority also there are contradictions, which itself have been utilised by the tiny minority. The contradictions among the people are non-antagonistic. Hence they can be resolved in a non-violent manner. Some of these contradictions seem to be similar to those of an antagonistic nature. So while handling these contradictions there is a danger of mixing them up with those contradictions which are irreconcilably antagonistic in nature. We have to be on guard against this mistake. Particularly, in the case of the beliefs of the people, a very sensitive issue. That means we have to be flexible while we are principled.
So, in conclusion, I want to stress once again that it is high time to dare to plunge among the people with the torch of scientific thinking. Let us boldly arouse the masses of people. Try to win over the middle section in order to isolate and smash the diehard, tiny reactionary minority. Victory is ours.
(MN Ravunni is Chairperson, PORATTAM, Kerala)
Photo Courtesy: https://s3.youthkiawaaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/11215756/modi.jpg
