State, capitalism, Hindutva, and imperialism: Two books but one message

By A Representative

State, capitalism, Hindutva, and imperialism are no longer merely academic debates confined to seminar halls or distant wars and conflicts affecting unknown faces and destroying homes and habitats. These issues now impact working people across the world. The relentless advance of the securitised state, religious fundamentalism, reactionary politics, and various forms of capitalism and imperialism not only endangers human lives and liberties but also threatens the very foundation of our planet. The following two books offer critical commentaries in accessible language, helping readers understand these pressing issues and explore the available alternatives for the survival of both humanity and nature.

The book "Everyday Encounters with State and Capitalism" by Bhabani Shankar Nayak, published by Anthem, London, illustrates how different forces shape ideas, knowledge traditions, policies, processes, institutions and everyday lives to domesticate both people and the planet in pursuit of profit. It examines the myriad ways in which contemporary ruling and non-ruling elites influence politics, culture, economy and religion and shape our daily interactions, emphasising their impact on individuals, families, communities, democratic praxis, societal structures and nature. The book portrays power structures that are skewed in a manner that marginalises many while upholding the interests of a few. It depicts numerous contradictions inherent in capitalism and the state, while also presenting alternative ideas drawn from the everyday experiences of working people. State and capitalism territorialise and deterritorialise lives and livelihoods. It destabilises social, cultural and economic relationships. Everyday crises are manufactured, and conflicts are designed to divert the masses from exploring alternatives to capitalism. This strategy aims to maintain the status quo by ensuring that attention and resources are consistently focused on the accumulation of wealth and prosperity for a few, thereby preventing widespread consideration of alternative and egalitarian systems and processes for mass welfare.

The book "The Unholy Trinity: Hindutva, Capitalism and Imperialism", also by Bhabani Shankar Nayak, published by Palgrave, New York, offers critical commentary and passionate analysis on the implications of Hindutva, capitalism, and imperialism for the everyday lives of working people and the planet. The emergence of the alliance between Hindutva politics and corporate capitalism during the latter half of the twentieth century significantly shaped society, state and governments aligning it with the demands of global capitalism and its imperialist hegemony. The collaboration and contestation between Hindutva, capitalism, imperialism, and other reactionary forces shape the nature of the state, government, culture, politics and society in India and beyond. The book provides an auto ethnographic and alternative analysis based on reflections on the realities of everyday lives and experiences of the past and present of this unholy trinity and its global implications.

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