Narahari Kaviraj

Narahari Kaviraj: “Post Modernism.”

This is a slim book a Marxist critique of postmodernism. The author tries through quotations from Lyotard, Foucault, Derrida and others is an excuse not to act against the rich poor divide. He also includes the critique of orientalism Edward Said in this category beside so many subaltern studies put out in India a few years back. One might agree with many of the arguments and reasoning used by the author but cannot be carried away with his Marxist advocacy of the so called proletarian revolution or proletarian dictatorship. He maintain that some one from outside has to impart class consciousness to the poor, landless and peasants. He also says that revolutionary consciousness in the worker also comes out of the ideological guidance. He ignores the view that any such imposition could be brought through power alone and then the power wielding becomes another class. He finds faults with post Lenin phase of the Soviet Communist rule. Stalin and his successors continued more and more dictatorial and the final result was the collapse of the Soviet and East European communist regimes. Kaviraj hints that anti socialists had some role in this downfall. Kaviraj did not take cognizance of the situation under the three decades rule of West Bengal by the Marxists which did little to or nothing to change the class structure and consciousness of the people of the state. The latest developments in the state when peasants rose against land acquisition for industrial development, the ruling communist party was aghast and succumbed to the regressive forces. This happened due to the idealization of peasant class in communist vocabulary. All the way communism failed not only in places it ruled for decades but at other places where it had substantial following at certain time. Italy, France for example. The Stalin and subsequent regimes in the Soviet Union fostered dictatorships in the newly independent postcolonial states. Every goon who was able to wrest power in the once colonies were acclaimed as liberators. These liberators continued as dictators unto the end of their life. The example of Robert Mogabe of Zimbagve is still with us.

Kavitaj often recalls the Marxist concept of linear progress of society from lower to the higher levels. The theoretical model Marxism teaches is that of society progressing from primitive communism to slavery then to feudalism to capitalism and finally communism a paradise on earth. Lenin entered imperialism as the last phase of developed capitalism. Kaviraj repeats all these without any critical view. He hides the fact that no ancient history or archeology attests to the truth of such linear progression of any ancient society. Almost all ancient societies progressed to a certain level and then digressed to a place leaving little traces in history. The Marxist historical materialism remained a lone theoretical model a caricature of true history. If communists are banking upon such a model they will have to wait for infinite future. But it seems they are dreaming of that future if one takes notice of the recent writings of them all.

On the other hand, capitalism whose death was forecast much earlier by Marx and others continues to influence the major part of the world. Every sign of its downward trends even if that was only a slight was proclaimed as the end of capitalism. Every strike or stoppage of work or protest demonstrations are proclaimed as the revolutionary acts of the classes concerned. The recent economic crisis in US and other developed countries gladdened the Indian communists and they were too happy to propagate the downfall of world capitalism. But belying all the forecasts the world economy is recovering though slowly. It means that capitalism has enough reserves to meet exigencies. It is capable of self generation. Natahari Kaviraj and people like him should not go on repeating the dogmas even if they are being refurbished. Freedom and market go together self-correcting the flaws.