Regardless of how current regime is characterized, fascist or otherwise, INDIA alliance is struggling to form cohesive platform

By Ram Puniyani 

The V-Dem observations about India, as reported in The Hindu, highlight that “almost all components of democracy were getting worse in more countries than they were getting better.” The report specifically pointed to freedom of expression, clean elections, and freedom of association/civil society as the three most affected components in autocratizing countries. This aptly summarizes the current ground reality in India. To make matters worse, India is witnessing some of the harshest treatment of its minorities. The RSS-BJP combine has increasingly used Hindu festivals and congregations as tools to intimidate minorities. This pattern was evident in the recent Ram Navami celebrations, Holi festivities, and the Kumbh congregation.

The rising authoritarianism of the ruling dispensation over the last decade has been a major factor in uniting most opposition parties to form the INDIA coalition, despite internal contradictions. The coalition's efforts, combined with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as well as social groups like Eddulu Karnataka and Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, significantly impacted the Lok Sabha results, thwarting the BJP’s target of crossing 400 seats.

However, the INDIA alliance has struggled to maintain momentum in forming a cohesive platform for state elections. This setback was evident in the Maharashtra and Haryana elections, where the alliance partners faced defeats. Contributing to this was the renewed effort by RSS affiliates to bolster BJP’s campaign. During the Lok Sabha elections, BJP President J.P. Nadda even claimed that the BJP no longer needed RSS support, asserting its self-sufficiency in winning elections.

Post-Lok Sabha elections, the INDIA alliance has failed to strengthen itself, with many constituents distancing themselves and the Congress, the largest opposition party, not taking significant initiatives. Notably, CPI(M), a key ideological component of the alliance, has expressed reservations. Acting General Secretary Prakash Karat stated that the INDIA bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha elections and not state polls, calling for a broader platform of secular opposition parties.

Karat emphasized the need to view the alliance beyond electoral politics, a sentiment echoed by left-leaning intellectuals. Some argue that while BJP exhibits traits of fascism, it does not fully replicate the conditions of fascist states from the 1930s. Economist Patnaik reasons that neoliberal capitalism fosters a “fascist presence” through right-wing authoritarian movements, xenophobia, ultra-nationalism, and eroded democratic norms, but stops short of creating full-fledged fascist states.

While terms like Neo-Fascism, Proto-Fascism, and Fundamentalism have been used to describe Hindutva nationalism, it is clear that no political phenomenon repeats itself identically. Hindutva nationalism shares many features with fascism, which initially inspired RSS founders like M.S. Golwalkar. In his book We or Our Nationhood Defined, Golwalkar praised Nazi Germany’s racial policies, stating, “To keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the Semitic Races — the Jews... a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by.”

India today exhibits several traits of fascism: glorification of a mythical golden past, aspirations for Akhand Bharat, targeting minorities as enemies of the nation, authoritarianism, promotion of big business, suppression of free expression, and domination of social thought. Intolerance toward freedom of expression was recently evident in the case of Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. After stating that “the RSS is poison,” Tushar Gandhi faced death threats but refused to apologize or retract his words.

The extensive RSS network, with its numerous organizations, pracharaks, and activists, threatens the inclusive idea of India that emerged from the Freedom Movement. The values of the movement, enshrined in the Constitution, emphasize equality and inclusivity. In contrast, the RSS ideology opposes these values, spreading hatred against Muslims by distorting history. For instance, in Maharashtra, the BJP has prioritized demands to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb. Additionally, the RSS has targeted Mahatma Gandhi, with social media posts falsely claiming he sabotaged India’s freedom movement.

What is to be done? Karat is correct in advocating for a broader secular platform. The INDIA coalition was a crucial first step, but it must be strengthened further. The coalition’s internal contradictions need resolution, and Karat’s party, with its significant membership, can play a pivotal role in this effort. For the greater good, coalition partners must make small sacrifices.

Social groups must also continue their commendable work from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The National Secular Coalition can spearhead this effort. Regardless of how the current regime is characterized—fascist or otherwise—the strategy for India must involve a broader, more dynamic platform, as demonstrated during the 2024 elections.