KOCHI: The Left parties, including the parliamentary Left and Far Left, should be more active in opposing Hindu communal politics in the country, said scholar and social activist V Geetha.
She was speaking at the second T G Jacob Memorial Lecture held at Achutha Menon Hall in Kochi on Saturday. Pointing at the history of communist parties and their activities across the country, she said that what they do now is not enough to combat the political need to oppose the growth of fascism.
“The neo-liberal Hindu communal politics is introducing a modern version of untouchability, ‘limiting’ themselves to an exclusive society. There is a huge demand for religious representation as a diversion and polarisation that is not being questioned enough by the Left front in the country,” she said.
Speaking on Dravidian identity and language politics, Geetha commented upon the Tamil Nadu government’s resistance to the NDA government’s policies. “The Tamil Nadu government’s resistance to NEP and upholding Tamil identity is also a way of hiding a lot of real issues within the state that they should seriously address.
There is a left union of educators within the system who do not want to bring in any change. Even when the educational situation is not improving, the educators in TN are the highest paid in the country,” she said.
“The raking up of language politics by the DMK government is to hide these realities. It is being used as a political tool for the upcoming elections,” she said, referring to the row over Rupee symbol between Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and Union Minister Nirmala Sitaraman.