These reflections of Kaustav Bhattacharyya on the current wave of left activism and civil society propaganda applies squarely to many issues that are attracting public attention in India these days: Surely topics like gender studies, racial studies, subaltern studies etc...have contributed to a better understanding and representation of society, culture and politics. I warmly and generously welcome and embrace their contribution. The objectionable part is when these excellent tools starts being used as dogmas, convictions and that any utterance or statement has to comply with their norms and standards. This new left brigade probably doesnt want a bigger state but a bigger and more powerful civil society, and I have warned before that this new creature called civil society can turn really nasty and vicious. A state with its elected representative will eventually have to contend with public opinion and there would be channels of discussion and debate. But this middle-class self-absorbed civil society is a vicious and horrid instrument for pushing through the child reforms you have been advocating against. I would argue if you look carefully within the Nordic societies or the specific context the civil society actors play a key role in assigning the blame or the case which then prompts the State to come down heavily, this mutual collaboration and partnership between heavy-handed State and the enthusiastic aspirational civil society is a frightening development of the new socio-poltical structure.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:01:43 +0000
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