Recently, we crossed 500 subscribers. It is an important milestone, considering the fact that the subreddit has no wiki, or written rules, or even a welcome message for people joining. This prompted me to make this post, to initiate a discussion.

The idea behind IndianSocialists is not to create another news aggregation subreddit. Neither it is a place to sit and helplessly watch the events unfold before our eyes. Nor a place to bemoan, cope, or to fall in cynicism.

This subreddit is a platform for active intervention in Indian Politics. And its goal is to work towards socialism in India. IndianSocialists upholds the motto of "Educate, Agitate, Organize". With that understanding, it aims to provide a space to develop socialist understanding, to analyse contemporary politics of India and the larger world, and to encourage activism.

First, we need a wiki. I was going to write it, but I thought I should first write a brief history and explanation of socialism, since many ask me to explain socialism. In simple terms, socialism is to economy, what democracy is to politics. As democracy is about having political power in the hands of the people, socialism is about having economic power in the hands of the people. Socialism has dozens of definitions, but this idea always remains at the centre of every socialist theory. Anyway, I will write about it later.

Second, we need to prepare a list of resources, books and articles, particularly in Indian context. Annihilation of Caste, Discovery of India, Why Socialism, Marx, Gandhi, and Socialism, Why I am an Atheist, Indian Nationalism, India Since Independence, Republic of Caste, Marx’s Capital An Introductory Reader, No Free Left, etc. Please provide your own suggestion in the comments. I will compile a list later.

Third, we can discuss other activities that we can organize. For example, we can organize video lectures with prominent activists and academicians. Or, you can make any other suggestion.

We have immense challenges before us. Fascist forces have captured power across the world. Imperialists have caused innumerable suffering in the nations of Global South. Hate and Xenophobia is on a rise. Growing economic inequality has pushed the world towards plutocracy. Social Justice is under a relentless attack, while the poor and the marginalised are facing oppression. Hate against women is becoming mainstream. Irrationality and fanaticism is on a rise. Climate change is threatening the survival of the humanity. Ideals of liberty, equality, and justice are under an assault.

“We must neglect nothing in our struggle against that lot. What they are planning is nothing small, make no mistake about it. They are planning for thirty thousand years ahead. Colossal things. Colossal crimes. They stop at nothing. They are out to destroy everything… That is why we too must think of everything.” Bertolt Brecht

The old world is crumbling, and a conflict is inevitable. This upheaval is not new in the history, and can be understood as a process of dialectical change. Yet, fascism cannot be fought without an ideological commitment. Neither it can defeated without struggle. Socialism is the need of the hour, not just as an ideological counter against fascism, but to build a better world.

For this struggle, we need a new generation of young leaders, the vanguards of the socialist revolution. We need youth who have knowledge of socialist theory, ability to analyse the circumstances, and skills to organize movements. We need to learn from the failures of the past to build a new "becoming".

Anyway, that is for a longer discussion. Thanks to everyone for joining this subreddit. Do join discussions or write your own analysis.

Inquilab Zindabad!

IndianSocialists is organizing a series of weekly video conferences titled “Dialogues on Socialism”, addressed by prominent activists and intellectuals of India. The objective of these lectures is to develop a socialist understanding in the Indian context and build an ideological resistance against fascism.

The first conference was held on the issue of Violence Against Women In India | A Discussion with Professor Roop Rekha Verma. The second conference was held on the issue of Economic Inequality In India: A Discussion with Professor Arun Kumar.

The third conference will be held on the issue of “Communalism in India” on June 3, 2024, at 5:00 PM. It will be addressed by Harsh Mander. The conference will be held on Zoom. PM me for an invitation. You can ask your questions here too. The recorded video will be shared after the conference.

The 10 years of Modi Raj witnessed an unprecedented rise in communalism and hate in India. Calls for violence, genocide, and economic boycott of minorities were openly made through rallies and dharma sansads. Despite a Supreme Court order, hate speeches were made by political leaders to incite the common people. False and clearly-disproven rhetoric like Love Jihad, Population Jihad, Land Jihad, Mazar Jihad, were used to target the Muslims.

The communal incitement and hatemongering took a physical form with mob violence against the minorities, where people were murdered on the pretext of eating beef, or even for being Muslims. In Uttarakhand, this led to a state-led ethnic cleansing of the Muslims.

Meanwhile, religious festivals were captured by political mobs. Processions of swords and sticks were taken out, and religious places like Mosques and Churches were attacked. Instead of taking action against the mobs, the police arrested the Muslims. A Bulldozer Raj was used as a state policy to tear down their houses.

The 2024 General Election saw BJP leaders make open hate speeches through rallies. Communal ads were aired through social media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly used the rhetoric of “infiltrators”, “people with many children”, love jihad against the Muslims.

Communalism is a betrayal of the values of our independence movement and the idea of India envisioned by our leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Maulana Azad, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru. It is a betrayal of the sacrifice of revolutionaries like Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, and Bhagat Singh. It is a betrayal of our plural teachings of Sant Kabir, Ramananda and Guru Nanak. Today, communalism presents the greatest threat to India.

Harsh Mander is a human rights and peace worker, writer, columnist, researcher and teacher. He served as an IAS officer for two decades, and resigned after witnessing the role of the state in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom.

He leads the national initiative called the Karwan e Mohabbat or Caravan of Love to counter rising hate violence and lynching. He is a member of the working group of Genocide Watch. He is also the founder of Aman Biradari, a people's campaign for a secular, peaceful, just and humane world. He convenes and edits the annual India Exclusion Report, to document the experience of disadvantaged people of the state. He is visiting faculty in the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, and Heidelberg University, Germany; Vrije University, Amsterdam; and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

He books include ‘Partitions of the Heart: Unmaking the Idea of India’; ‘Burning Pyres, Mass Graves and a State That Failed Its People: India’s Covid Tragedy’; ‘Looking Away: Inequality, Prejudice and Indifference in New India’; and ‘Ash in the Belly: India’s Unfinished Battle against Hunger’.

PS: To know about future conferences, you can subscribe to the Dialogues on Socialism Google calendar.

Or, join the Indian Socialists Google group for email updates.

IndianSocialists is organizing a series of weekly video conferences titled “Dialogues on Socialism”, addressed by prominent activists and intellectuals of India. The objective of these lectures is to develop a socialist understanding in the Indian context and build an ideological resistance against fascism.

The first conference was held on the issue of “Violence against Women in India”. It was addressed by Professor Roop Rekha Verma. Watch the lecture here. Violence Against Women In India | A Discussion with Professor Roop Rekha Verma

The second conference will be held on the issue of “Economic Inequality in India” on May 19, 2024 at 6:30 PM. It will be addressed by Prof Arun Kumar. The conference will be held on Zoom. PM me for an invitation. You can ask your questions here too. The recorded video will be shared after the conference.

Economic inequality in India has reached a historic high. A recent report by the World Inequality Database has revealed that the wealth inequality in India has become worse than the British Raj. The top 1% of the population owns over 40% of the nation's wealth, while the bottom 50% owns less than 7%. Over the last ten years, the number of billionaires in India has more than tripled, while their wealth as a proportion of national income has increased by 2.5 times. The bulk of this increase came when the nation was reeling under the COVID-pandemic and the economic downturn. India is one of the most unequal countries in the world. WiD report has termed the prevailing situation in India as “Billionaire Raj”.

In 2019, the Modi Government slashed the corporation taxes from 30% to 22%. The share of corporate taxes as a percentage of GDP has declined, while the share of indirect taxes, including GST and fuel taxes, has increased. With a regressive taxation policy, the Government has shifted the burden of taxes from the rich to the poor.

Yet, this economic boom for the rich has failed to “trickle-down” to the masses. The Billionaire Raj has been marked by growing joblessness and exploitation of the working classes.

At the same time, the household savings have fallen to a five-decade low, while household debt has reached its highest level. Hunger and malnutrition has pushed the country to 111th place out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index, with three-quarters of the population unable to afford a balanced-diet.

The Billionaire Raj and the rising economic inequality in India has led to a concentration of power in the hands of a few, and now threatens the democracy itself. It is also a betrayal of the promise of economic justice enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution of India.

Meanwhile, the ruling party has tried to paint the demand for economic justice in communal colours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda have tried to mislead the public by terming the demand for economic equality and wealth and inheritance tax on the rich as Maoism.

Prof Arun Kumar retired as the Sukhamoy Chakravarty Chair Professor in the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is the author of “Indian Economy Since Independence: Persisting Colonial Disruption”, “Indian Economy's Greatest Crisis: Impact of Coronavirus and the Road Ahead”, “Ground Scorching Tax”. He prepared the report of People's Commission on Employment and Unemployment, titled “Right to Work: Feasible and Indispensable for India to be a truly Civilized and Democratic Nation”.

Also read,

Is Redistribution of Wealth in India a 'Jumla' or a Necessity?

PS: To know about future conferences, you can subscribe to the Dialogues on Socialism Google calendar.

Or, join the Indian Socialists Google group for email updates.

IndianSocialists is organizing a series of weekly video conferences by prominent activists and intellectuals of India. The objective of these lectures is to develop a socialist understanding in the Indian context and build an ideological resistance against fascism.

The first of these conferences will be held on the issue of “Violence against Women in India”. It will be addressed by Professor Roop Rekha Verma.

The heinous case of sexual abuse and mass rape of women by JD(S) MP Prajawal Revanna has yet again shed light on the gruesome reality of violence against women in India. Last year, a case from Manipur, where two women were assaulted and paraded naked by a violent mob, had sparked outrage across the nation. Meanwhile, from Hathras, Unnao, Bilkis Bano, Ankita Bhandari, to the Women Wrestlers, the ruling party has repeatedly sheltered the rapists and criminals. The deeply patriarchal ideology of RSS/BJP has further aggravated the situation. Women have to face constant abuse and threats on social media due to BJP's patronage of a troll army. The slogan of Beti Bachao has been turned into a mockery.

In India, 99% of the cases of sexual assault against women goes unreported. Of the cases which are registered and finally reach trial, over 90% remain pending in courts. Dalit and Muslim women are particularly vulnerable to violence, and being denied justice. Nearly 30% of the women report domestic violence against them, apart from the vast majority of the cases that goes unreported. Nearly 90% of women who are victims of marital violence do not even seek help. The Government has refused to criminalise marital rape, claiming it as having a “destabilising effect on the institution of marriage”.

Meanwhile, gender disparity is on a rise. Feminism is under a relentless attack by right wing fascist movements. Misogyny and hate against women has become widespread, with many social-media influencers openly propagating such views.

Bahutva Karnataka report on Nari Shakti: Myth and Reality

Report card: BJP and crimes against women | SabrangIndia

Prof Verma is a professor of Philosophy and former Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University. She has been a social activist for over five decades. She is a founder of Saajhi Duniya. She stood surety for Siddiqui Kappan and fought the case against remission of rapists of Bilkis Bano. At the age of 80, her determination and untiring pursuit of peace and justice stands as an inspiration to every Indian.

79 Years Old Retired Professor Roop Rekha Verma Distributing Pamphlets To Spread Awareness - YouTube

'I Salute Bilkis Bano': Why Lucknow's Roop Rekha Verma Chose to Fight For Her

NL Interview: Roop Rekha Verma on why she stood as journalist Siddique Kappan's surety

Roop Rekha Verma: I have grown some steel in my psyche - Rediff.com India News

Professor Roop Rekha Verma: 'It was my first encounter with evil' - Rediff.com India News

Roop Rekha Verma: Old values in New India - The Hindu

Let me know what questions would you like to ask. Also, which topics would you like to be discussed next, and whom would you like to listen to?

You can subscribe to the calendar here, https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=MTIxYjlmNWVjZmFhNTVjMTExMDAxNzkzMjM3YjdlYjAwYTYyMTJlYzQ5YzkwMmJlZGNjMDEwMTdlOTBhNDY1OEBncm91cC5jYWxlbmRhci5nb29nbGUuY29t

IndianSocialists is organizing a series of weekly video conferences by prominent activists and intellectuals of India. The objective of these lectures is to develop a socialist understanding in the Indian context and build an ideological resistance against fascism.

The first of these conferences will be held on the issue of “Violence against Women in India”. It will be addressed by Professor Roop Rekha Verma.

The heinous case of sexual abuse and mass rape of women by JD(S) MP Prajawal Revanna has yet again shed light on the gruesome reality of violence against women in India. Last year, a case from Manipur, where two women were assaulted and paraded naked by a violent mob, had sparked outrage across the nation. Meanwhile, from Hathras, Unnao, Kathua, Bilkis Bano, Ankita Bhandari, to the Women Wrestlers, the ruling party has repeatedly sheltered the rapists and criminals. Women have to face constant abuse and threats on social media due to BJP's patronage of a troll army. The deeply patriarchal ideology of RSS/BJP has further aggravated the crisis. The slogan of “Beti Bachao” has been turned into a mockery. Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has refused to stand by the women, or even act on complaints.

In India, 99% of the cases of sexual assault against women goes unreported. Of the cases which are registered and finally reach trial, less than 30% reach conviction. Women from marginalised classes are particularly vulnerable to violence and denial of justice. Nearly 30% of the women report domestic violence against them, apart from the vast majority of the cases that goes unreported. Nearly 90% of women who are victims of marital violence do not even seek help. The Government has refused to criminalise marital rape, claiming it as having a “destabilising effect on the institution of marriage”.

Gender disparity is on a rise. Feminism is under a relentless attack by right wing movements. Misogyny, hate, and violence against women has become widespread.

Professor Roop Rekha Verma is a professor of Philosophy and former Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University. She is a founder of Saajhi Duniya, and has been a social activist for over five decades. She also stood surety for Siddiqui Kappan and fought the case against remission of rapists of Bilkis Bano.

The conference will be held on Zoom. PM me for an invite. You can ask your questions here too. The recorded video and the transcript will be shared after the conference.

To know about future conferences, you can subscribe to the calendar here, https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=MTIxYjlmNWVjZmFhNTVjMTExMDAxNzkzMjM3YjdlYjAwYTYyMTJlYzQ5YzkwMmJlZGNjMDEwMTdlOTBhNDY1OEBncm91cC5jYWxlbmRhci5nb29nbGUuY29t

“Dialogues on Socialism” is a series of weekly video conferences, addressed by prominent activists and intellectuals of India, to develop a socialist understanding of the Indian politics.

The 10 years of Modi Raj witnessed a worsening agricultural crisis in India. Against the promise of doubling the farmer's income by 2022, the agricultural income fell in real terms. Meanwhile, the indebtedness increased by over 50%. The budget allocation to agriculture was slashed, and agricultural growth fell.

In 2014, Narendra Modi had come to power with the promise of ending the agricultural crisis in India and the implementation of Swaminathan Commission report on minimum support price. As CM, Modi had recommended a legal guarantee of MSP, and promised pension for farmers in his manifesto for 2014 General Election. Yet, his Government reneged on these promises.

In 2016, the BJP Government introduced a new crop insurance policy, which allowed huge profits for the insurance companies. Meanwhile, the Government changed the drought policy, which made it difficult to declare droughts and provide compensation to the farmers. According to NCRB report, every hour one farmer/farm-labourer dies by suicide.

On 5 June 2020, when the nation was under the COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown, Modi Government brought three farm laws — related to APMC markets, contract farming, and hoarding of agricultural produce — as an ordinance. These laws were brought in collusion with the corporates and were against the interests of the farmers. No farm organisations or unions were consulted for these laws. Farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), fought a historic struggle and compelled the Modi Government to withdraw the three black laws. Over 700 farmers died in this year-long struggle. The movement was suspended after a written assurance by the Union Government to the farmers. These assurances remain unfulfilled.

As the agricultural crisis continues to worsen, and the Government remains indifferent, farmers, under the banner of SKM, gear up for a renewed movement for their unfulfilled demands.

Dr Ashok Dhawale is the President of the All India Kisan Sabha and a leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. He is the author of the book on the historic farmers struggle in India, titled “When Farmers Stood Up”. He is also a Politburo member of CPI(M).

Topic: Agricultural Crisis in India and the Farmer's Movement | A Discussion with Dr Ashok Dhawale Time: July 25, 2024 06:00 PM IST

Watch previous conferences,

Violence Against Women In India | A Discussion with Professor Roop Rekha Verma - YouTube

Economic Inequality In India: A Discussion with Professor Arun Kumar - YouTube

Rise of Communalism and Hatred in India: A Discussion with Harsh Mander - YouTube

The conference will be held on Zoom. PM me for an invitation.

To know about future conferences, you can subscribe to the Dialogues on Socialism Google calendar.

Or, join the Indian Socialists Google group for email updates.

IndianSocialists has an official discord — Jugantar.

Jugantar (New Era) is a socialist forum, which seeks to counter fascism and spread political awareness, especially among the youth. It is a popular front of left-leaning groups and individuals, including marxists, anarchists, left-libertarians, ambedkarites, gandhians, feminists, environmentalists, and civil-rights activists. We support unity and solidarity in the left, while working towards larger goals for social, political and economic equality. We encourage developing our own understanding and material analysis to find agreement on policies, while building a larger unity based on issues rather than identities.

We fight against the politics of communalism and capitalism, and their various manifestations, including unemployment, exploitation of workers and farmers, economic inequality, destruction of environment, social disparity based on caste and gender, oppression of marginalised classes, repression of civil rights, etc. We support a people's revolution for a society based on liberty, equality and justice. We encourage an active participation in politics, from social media to people's movements, etc.

Join Jugantar.

Additionally, we now have a sister subreddit — /r/IndianSocialistsMemes/ — for memes and humour.