Globalised financial approach and weakening of socialism have led to the emergence of identity politics according to Prakash Karat, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary. He was speaking at a national seminar on 'Re-reading Marxism' in Thrissur, the other day pointing out that politcial movement adopts an all encompassing approach, according to Mr.Karat. Non-governmental organisations and voluntary organisations with financial assistance from abroad cater to the needs of identity politics which touches upon certain divisions of society and leaves many things untouched, according to his observation.
He attributes emergence of modernism which nurtures identity politics thus weakening political movements. What he tries to drive home is political movements cannot be replaced by identity politics.
It is obvious that what was weighing in his mind was the recent agitation launched by civil-society members against corruption by distancing themselves from political parties.
In the same day's paper ('THE HINDU' dated 17-6-2011) the noted journalist and Rural Affairs Editor of the daily P.Sainath vehemently attacks the movement of civil-society members. He points out that in the previous assembly elections to five States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Assam and Puducherry a high polling percentage was reported and these States elected peoples' representatives to five assmeblies, what is in his mind - he makes explicit reference to the peoples representatives in Parliament - they are all representatives of people - they are all represntatives of various political parties he asks whether they don't have a stake in the smooth functioning of the govt. But he evades from the simple truth that civil-society members too have taken up cudgels against corruption on a gargantuan scale be they from upper middle class or not have the right to intervene where political parties fail. If the political parties were united against corruption on a massive scale many skeletons tumbling out of UPA closet an Anna Hazare, Shanti Bushan or Prashant Bushan would not have come to the forefront. There must be somebody to cast the first stone against a govt's apathy towards corruption and the politcial parties should have come to the fore and jointly corner the UPA II dispensation but they were not pro-active in their response about which even Sainath's observation that a few months before there was a massive rally at capital Delhi staged by 9 Central trade unions lakhs and lakhs from various walks of life even Congess-led INTUC too partook in it inspite of it being pro-govt about which even BBC and Reuters reported. True. That's that. No follow-up action was forthcoming after that. It was simply a token protest against the govt's failure to act on various fronts like price-rise and scarcity of food items which drew urgent attention.
A united and prolonged action is needed from the part of political parties till the govt cow down under relentless pressure.
It should be borne in mind that inclusion of five ministers in the draft Lok Pal committed never means that the govt as a whole is represented by these five ministers be they got elected or not. Moreover Sainath knows better than a common citizen like me that almost one-third of the members of Parliament are crorepatis and millionaires who don't have an iota of concern towards the present plight of the country that find itself in.
What Prakash Karat mentioned about identity politics weighed heavily in Sainath's mind also. In other words a confluence of opinions.
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