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Ideologies
IDEOLOGIES
1. DEMOCRACY
Definition
Democracy is one of the recognized forms of government. The word is derived from two Greek words- demos (people) and kratos (rule). Therefore the word democracy means rule of the people. Abraham Lincoln, a great statesman and President of the USA has given the most precise definition of the word ‘democracy’- “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”.
Features of a Democratic Government
• Democracy is such a form of government where people choose their own government.
• Power is exercised by the representatives of the people who are chosen through free and fair elections incorporating the principle of universal adult franchise.
• Every adult citizen has the right to vote.
• The representatives chosen by the people have exercise their power by adhering strictly to the principles laid down by the constitution and safeguarding the fundamental rights of their citizens
• All citizens are guaranteed certain fundamental rights (by the constitution) which are considered essential for all people to lead meaningful lives.
• All citizens are equal from the government’s and judiciary’s point of view.
• A democratic system always has a separation of power into three units-Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
• Am democracy is always marked by the rue of the majority.
History
The origins of democracy lie in ancient Greece where the polis (city state) of Athens had a democratic form of government. Inspired by Greece, Rome also adopted a democratic and republic form of government. The Senate (similar to a modern Parliament) had the rights to frame legislations. The middle ages saw the rise of England as the birth place of Parliamentary Democracy. In the 11th century CE, King Henry established a council of lords in England which came to be known as the Parliament in the 13th century CE. The power of the Parliament in England increased when King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215 CE. The hold of the Parliament over England was further strengthened after the victory of the parliamentary forces led by Oliver Cromwell in the civil war and the subsequent execution of King Charles I in 1649 CE. Writings of political thinkers like John Locke in the 17th century and Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau in the 18th century strengthened the concept of democracy. Their writings inspired the American Revolution in 1776 and the French Revolution in 1789 which were undoubtedly milestones in the history of democratic thought. The Constitution of India also provides for a democratic and republican form of government in India where people elect their own representatives through universal adult suffrage.
2. SECULARISM
Definition: Secularism refers to the separation of the state or government from religion. A secular state is a state which does not uphold any religion as the established church of the state and the policies of the government and laws are not based on any religious ideas and tenets. On the other hand those countries which recognize a particular religion as the official religion are known as theocratic states. The concept of secularism emerged in ancient Greece and was given a more concrete base by the writing of John Locke and Voltaire. The word secularism was however used for the first time by George Holyoak, a British thinker in 1851.
Secularism in India
Indian sovereigns like Asoka (269-232 BCE) and Akbar (1556-1605) were known for their liberal religious policies and respect for all faiths, though their states could not be called purely secular. Considering the strong communal feelings which had flared during the partition of India in 1947, Indian national leaders, specially Jawaharlal Nehru were keen to make independent India a secular state. Also India, with its highly pluralistic society had many religious communities and it would have been unjust to declare any religion as the official religion of India. The word ‘Secular’ was inserted in the Preamble of the Constitution of India by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 with the objective of creating a sense of unity and oneness among the people of India who belonged to various faiths.
All religions are equal in the view of the government and it extends equal protection to all. Freedom of religion is one of the Fundamental Rights which is guaranteed to every citizen by the Constitution. Similarly, religion is a matter of personal choice for every individual and the government does not interfere in it. Secularism is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India and cannot be altered or amended under any conditions.
3. MARXISM (Communism) (also known as Marxian Socialism or Scientific Socialism)
Definition: The ideology which emanated from the thoughts of two German thinkers-Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th century. Marxism/Communism is an ideology which aimed at the creation of a stateless and classless society. This society will have no private property and all the means of production will be jointly owned by the whole society.
Brief Life Sketch of Karl Marx (1818-1883): Karl Marx is known as the ‘Father of Marxism or Communism’. He was journalist, thinker and a prolific writer. As a student, Marx was greatly influenced by G.W.F. Hegel, the noted philosopher who taught at the University of Berlin. It was from Hegel’s philosophy that Marx incorporated the concept of ‘dialecticalism’ and used it in his own analysis class struggle.
Principles of Marxism
The basic principles of Marxism are contained into major publications- Communist Manifesto (1848)-authored jointly by Marx and Engels and Das Kapital (1867)-authored by Karl Marx.
1. Dialectical Materialism
In Hegel’s dialecticalism, there are the Universal Mind and the Individual Minds i.e. people are parts of this Universal Mind. However people do not realize this oneness and consider each other hostile and foreign. In other words there is a constant struggle between two entities. For Marx also, history or the past was a conflict or struggle of two opposite forces.
2. Marx’s Interpretation of History (Historical Materialism)
Marx was critical of the Utopians and the Anarchists as they did not explore the relationship between the present times and history. In Marx’s view, the economic structure of any society i.e. economic relations of production is the real foundation of any society. Other superstructures like society and polity are based on this economic foundation. The modes of production in material life-i.e. capital, private property etc determine the general nature of all the processes as well as ideas in society.
3. Marx’s theory of Class Struggle and Revolution
In Marx’s view, any society has two classes which are necessarily each other’s antagonists (enemies). A persons’s class is determined by the means of production which he owns- i.e. whether he owns private property or not. In the medieval times these two classes were the feudal lords and the bonded serfs. After the Industrial Revolution, the two struggling classes were the private capitalists (bourgeoisie) and the workers (proletariat). The class struggle emerges out of the contradictory interests of the two classes and ultimately the bourgeoisie class will be destroyed. Marx always advocated the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’ and not the rule of the elite class.
The only way in which a capitalist society could transform into a communist society is through a socialist revolution. The Marxist ideology does not have faith in a political change through the ballot i.e. elections. Communist governments were established in Russia in 1917 and in China in 1949 after violent revolutions. The revolution, in Marx’s opinion is international and not limited to any particular country.
4. Marx’s views about the Media
According to Marx the contents of any media are decided by the economic base of the organization in which they are produced. For Marx, media is also a means of production. In a capitalist system the media are owned by the capitalist class which is also the ruling class. They only spread those ideas and views which are held by themselves and other alternate ideas are not communicated. In such a situation, the people only get a one sided view of the society and the voice of the proletariat remains unheard.
NAXALSIM (THE RISE AND SPREAD OF THE NAXALITE MOVEMENT IN INDIA)
Introduction
The word Naxalism is used for the ideology upheld by the leftist extremist revolutionary groups which are active in eastern and northeastern parts of India. The people who uphold this ideology are known as Naxalites or Maoists as they are greatly influenced by the views of Mao Tse Tung. The Naxalites are very active in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and eastern part of Maharashtra.
Split in the CPM and Rise of Naxalism
West Bengal is the homeland of the Naxalite movement and the movement derives its name from the village of Naxalbari in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. In 1967 a coalition government of the Bangla Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) came to power in West Bengal. Some radical members from the CPM, led by Kanu Sanyal had been tremendously influenced by the Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao Tse Tung in China. On the other hand, the more moderate section of the CPM was led by Jyoti Basu. These radical leaders wanted the CPM to organize a peasant rebellion in West Bengal against the excesses of the landlords-specially in the tea estates. The wanted the peasant rebellion to spread to other parts of India as well and finally assume the form of a rebellion against the government of India. They blamed the CPM for having fallen prey to parliamentary democracy and forgotten the basic Marxian idea of the socialist revolution. The differences between the moderate and radical sections of the CPM culminated in the spilt in the CPM. The radical members left the CPM and formed their own independent party- The Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) (CPI- ML) under the leadership of Kanu Sanyal in 1967. This new party formed the political organ of the Naxalites.
The Naxalite movement traces its beginnings to a peasant rebellion led by the radical leader Charu Majumdar at Naxalbari in 1967. Naxalbari is a mountainous region and there is a general shortage of land. The whole area had many tea estates which were managed by private landholders who employed Santhals to work as labourers in their fields. In 1967, the Santhal peasants, led by Majumdar made demonstrations against the landholders at Naxalbari. The police fired at the protesting peasants who rose in armed rebellion. This armed rebellion was led by Charu Majumdar and marks the beginning of the Naxalite movement in India. This rebellion was characterized by violence against the landholding class and many landholders were beheaded during the course of this rebellion. The Eight Documents authored by Charu Majumdar became the basis for the whole Naxalite movement and ideology.
The Naxalite movement got a stronghold in areas with a large tribal and peasant population than the urban areas. Therefore the Naxal movement is very wide spread in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha which have a large tribal population. The Naxalites use force to uproot the upper classes, specially the landed classes who exploit the landless peasants and tribals. They consider democracy in India to be sham. In recent times government officials like policemen and collectors as well politicians have been targeted by the Naxalites.
Demands of the Naxalites
1. The Adivasis (tribals) should have full right over the jungle produce.
2. Workers must get better wages
3. There should be redistribution of land.
1. DEMOCRACY
Definition
Democracy is one of the recognized forms of government. The word is derived from two Greek words- demos (people) and kratos (rule). Therefore the word democracy means rule of the people. Abraham Lincoln, a great statesman and President of the USA has given the most precise definition of the word ‘democracy’- “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”.
Features of a Democratic Government
• Democracy is such a form of government where people choose their own government.
• Power is exercised by the representatives of the people who are chosen through free and fair elections incorporating the principle of universal adult franchise.
• Every adult citizen has the right to vote.
• The representatives chosen by the people have exercise their power by adhering strictly to the principles laid down by the constitution and safeguarding the fundamental rights of their citizens
• All citizens are guaranteed certain fundamental rights (by the constitution) which are considered essential for all people to lead meaningful lives.
• All citizens are equal from the government’s and judiciary’s point of view.
• A democratic system always has a separation of power into three units-Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
• Am democracy is always marked by the rue of the majority.
History
The origins of democracy lie in ancient Greece where the polis (city state) of Athens had a democratic form of government. Inspired by Greece, Rome also adopted a democratic and republic form of government. The Senate (similar to a modern Parliament) had the rights to frame legislations. The middle ages saw the rise of England as the birth place of Parliamentary Democracy. In the 11th century CE, King Henry established a council of lords in England which came to be known as the Parliament in the 13th century CE. The power of the Parliament in England increased when King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215 CE. The hold of the Parliament over England was further strengthened after the victory of the parliamentary forces led by Oliver Cromwell in the civil war and the subsequent execution of King Charles I in 1649 CE. Writings of political thinkers like John Locke in the 17th century and Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau in the 18th century strengthened the concept of democracy. Their writings inspired the American Revolution in 1776 and the French Revolution in 1789 which were undoubtedly milestones in the history of democratic thought. The Constitution of India also provides for a democratic and republican form of government in India where people elect their own representatives through universal adult suffrage.
2. SECULARISM
Definition: Secularism refers to the separation of the state or government from religion. A secular state is a state which does not uphold any religion as the established church of the state and the policies of the government and laws are not based on any religious ideas and tenets. On the other hand those countries which recognize a particular religion as the official religion are known as theocratic states. The concept of secularism emerged in ancient Greece and was given a more concrete base by the writing of John Locke and Voltaire. The word secularism was however used for the first time by George Holyoak, a British thinker in 1851.
Secularism in India
Indian sovereigns like Asoka (269-232 BCE) and Akbar (1556-1605) were known for their liberal religious policies and respect for all faiths, though their states could not be called purely secular. Considering the strong communal feelings which had flared during the partition of India in 1947, Indian national leaders, specially Jawaharlal Nehru were keen to make independent India a secular state. Also India, with its highly pluralistic society had many religious communities and it would have been unjust to declare any religion as the official religion of India. The word ‘Secular’ was inserted in the Preamble of the Constitution of India by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 with the objective of creating a sense of unity and oneness among the people of India who belonged to various faiths.
All religions are equal in the view of the government and it extends equal protection to all. Freedom of religion is one of the Fundamental Rights which is guaranteed to every citizen by the Constitution. Similarly, religion is a matter of personal choice for every individual and the government does not interfere in it. Secularism is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India and cannot be altered or amended under any conditions.
3. MARXISM (Communism) (also known as Marxian Socialism or Scientific Socialism)
Definition: The ideology which emanated from the thoughts of two German thinkers-Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th century. Marxism/Communism is an ideology which aimed at the creation of a stateless and classless society. This society will have no private property and all the means of production will be jointly owned by the whole society.
Brief Life Sketch of Karl Marx (1818-1883): Karl Marx is known as the ‘Father of Marxism or Communism’. He was journalist, thinker and a prolific writer. As a student, Marx was greatly influenced by G.W.F. Hegel, the noted philosopher who taught at the University of Berlin. It was from Hegel’s philosophy that Marx incorporated the concept of ‘dialecticalism’ and used it in his own analysis class struggle.
Principles of Marxism
The basic principles of Marxism are contained into major publications- Communist Manifesto (1848)-authored jointly by Marx and Engels and Das Kapital (1867)-authored by Karl Marx.
1. Dialectical Materialism
In Hegel’s dialecticalism, there are the Universal Mind and the Individual Minds i.e. people are parts of this Universal Mind. However people do not realize this oneness and consider each other hostile and foreign. In other words there is a constant struggle between two entities. For Marx also, history or the past was a conflict or struggle of two opposite forces.
2. Marx’s Interpretation of History (Historical Materialism)
Marx was critical of the Utopians and the Anarchists as they did not explore the relationship between the present times and history. In Marx’s view, the economic structure of any society i.e. economic relations of production is the real foundation of any society. Other superstructures like society and polity are based on this economic foundation. The modes of production in material life-i.e. capital, private property etc determine the general nature of all the processes as well as ideas in society.
3. Marx’s theory of Class Struggle and Revolution
In Marx’s view, any society has two classes which are necessarily each other’s antagonists (enemies). A persons’s class is determined by the means of production which he owns- i.e. whether he owns private property or not. In the medieval times these two classes were the feudal lords and the bonded serfs. After the Industrial Revolution, the two struggling classes were the private capitalists (bourgeoisie) and the workers (proletariat). The class struggle emerges out of the contradictory interests of the two classes and ultimately the bourgeoisie class will be destroyed. Marx always advocated the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’ and not the rule of the elite class.
The only way in which a capitalist society could transform into a communist society is through a socialist revolution. The Marxist ideology does not have faith in a political change through the ballot i.e. elections. Communist governments were established in Russia in 1917 and in China in 1949 after violent revolutions. The revolution, in Marx’s opinion is international and not limited to any particular country.
4. Marx’s views about the Media
According to Marx the contents of any media are decided by the economic base of the organization in which they are produced. For Marx, media is also a means of production. In a capitalist system the media are owned by the capitalist class which is also the ruling class. They only spread those ideas and views which are held by themselves and other alternate ideas are not communicated. In such a situation, the people only get a one sided view of the society and the voice of the proletariat remains unheard.
NAXALSIM (THE RISE AND SPREAD OF THE NAXALITE MOVEMENT IN INDIA)
Introduction
The word Naxalism is used for the ideology upheld by the leftist extremist revolutionary groups which are active in eastern and northeastern parts of India. The people who uphold this ideology are known as Naxalites or Maoists as they are greatly influenced by the views of Mao Tse Tung. The Naxalites are very active in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and eastern part of Maharashtra.
Split in the CPM and Rise of Naxalism
West Bengal is the homeland of the Naxalite movement and the movement derives its name from the village of Naxalbari in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. In 1967 a coalition government of the Bangla Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) came to power in West Bengal. Some radical members from the CPM, led by Kanu Sanyal had been tremendously influenced by the Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao Tse Tung in China. On the other hand, the more moderate section of the CPM was led by Jyoti Basu. These radical leaders wanted the CPM to organize a peasant rebellion in West Bengal against the excesses of the landlords-specially in the tea estates. The wanted the peasant rebellion to spread to other parts of India as well and finally assume the form of a rebellion against the government of India. They blamed the CPM for having fallen prey to parliamentary democracy and forgotten the basic Marxian idea of the socialist revolution. The differences between the moderate and radical sections of the CPM culminated in the spilt in the CPM. The radical members left the CPM and formed their own independent party- The Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) (CPI- ML) under the leadership of Kanu Sanyal in 1967. This new party formed the political organ of the Naxalites.
The Naxalite movement traces its beginnings to a peasant rebellion led by the radical leader Charu Majumdar at Naxalbari in 1967. Naxalbari is a mountainous region and there is a general shortage of land. The whole area had many tea estates which were managed by private landholders who employed Santhals to work as labourers in their fields. In 1967, the Santhal peasants, led by Majumdar made demonstrations against the landholders at Naxalbari. The police fired at the protesting peasants who rose in armed rebellion. This armed rebellion was led by Charu Majumdar and marks the beginning of the Naxalite movement in India. This rebellion was characterized by violence against the landholding class and many landholders were beheaded during the course of this rebellion. The Eight Documents authored by Charu Majumdar became the basis for the whole Naxalite movement and ideology.
The Naxalite movement got a stronghold in areas with a large tribal and peasant population than the urban areas. Therefore the Naxal movement is very wide spread in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha which have a large tribal population. The Naxalites use force to uproot the upper classes, specially the landed classes who exploit the landless peasants and tribals. They consider democracy in India to be sham. In recent times government officials like policemen and collectors as well politicians have been targeted by the Naxalites.
Demands of the Naxalites
1. The Adivasis (tribals) should have full right over the jungle produce.
2. Workers must get better wages
3. There should be redistribution of land.