India – New Socialist

The Allure of Violence and the Decline of the Organized Left in India: An Interview with Himani Bannerji (Part 3)

by / August 21, 2014

This is Part 3 of an interview with Himani Bannerji by New Socialist Editor Salmaan Khan on the outcome of the Indian elections. This final portion of the interview focused on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI[M]) which fared poorly in these past elections, securing only nine seats out of 97 candidates – a progressive decline from the last two national elections and the lowest since the formation of the party in 1964 – followed by a discussion of the difficulties that come with organizing people according to a formula derived from outdated and inappropriate conceptions of industrialization and capitalist development. Part 1 of this interview, “India and the Rise of Religious Nationalism,” is here. Click here for Part 2, “Masculinity, Islamophobia and Neoliberal Politics in India.”

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Masculinity, Islamophobia and Neoliberal Politics in India: An Interview with Himani Bannerji (Part 2)

by / August 18, 2014

Image source: hindustan times

What follows is Part 2 of Salmaan Khan’s interview with Himani Bannerji. After laying the context for what India looked like going into the 2014 federal elections in Part 1, Bannerji now speaks more directly to the nature of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the advance of neoliberalism, and the continued oppression faced by marginalized groups in India. Also discussed are the geopolitical implications of a BJP dominated India and the consequences of its relationship with the West. Part 1, “India and the Rise of Religious Nationalism,” can be found here

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India and the Rise of Religious Nationalism: An Interview with Himani Bannerji (Part 1)

by / August 16, 2014

India recently concluded its 2014 federal elections in which a record 550 million people cast their votes, electing Narendra Modi of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister and securing his party’s position with a majority 282 out of 543 seats in Parliament. New Socialist editor Salmaan Khan had the opportunity to discuss the election results with Bengali-Canadian writer, scholar and activist Himani Bannerji. What follows is Part 1 of a three part interview series. In this first piece Dr. Bannerji lays the context for what India looked like going into these elections and outlines the conditions that helped pave the way for the appeal of religious nationalism.

Image source: Press Information Bureau India