‘Slur to say communists are anti-Dalit’: Sitaram Yechury on caste, capitalism, international Left

04/19/24 • 59 min

Amid the ongoing election fever, the Left parties are looking to regain their lost ground. But what are the limitations facing the Red Flag? Why do Indian communists share a difficult relationship with the anti-caste movement? And what is happening in the international communist movement?

In this special two-part episode on What's Your Ism, Sudipto Mondal speaks to the two tallest leaders of the Indian communist movement – Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and D Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India.

In part one, Yechury talks about his anti-caste assertions, and confronting caste in his Brahmin household by cutting off his janeu or sacred thread. He also sheds light on the Indian communist’s relationship with the anti-caste movement, laal-neel alliance, and global affairs.

The Marxist politician also speaks about Ukraine war’s connection with India, the commonalities between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Russian counterpart Valdmir Putin, “akhand Russia”, the international communist movement, and his trip to China.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

‘BSP, Mayawati losing relevance’: RS Praveen Kumar on anti-caste movement, switch to BRS

RS Praveen Kumar, a former IPS officer, who had quit the civil services to join the Bahujan Samaj Party, has once again taken a u-turn. Last month, the popular Ambedkarite jumped to the BRS – a party he had earlier described as “casteist” and “feudal”. So what triggered this shift? What are his views on the anti-caste movement?

In this episode of What’s Your Ism, Kumar spoke to The News Minute’s Sudipto Mondal about the relevance of BSP and Mayawati, how he reconciles his anti-caste ideology with the BRS, and the Ambedkarite movement in India.

“Bahujan Samaj Party is becoming less and less relevant,” says the former IPS officer, adding that things “have changed dramatically”. He also challenges the notion that the BRS is a party of Velama caste landlords.

The bureaucrat-turned-politician also talks about the initiatives under his non-profit educational organisation SWAERO, what happened with the BSP.

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Next Episode

‘Time to revise theoretical positions’: D Raja on communists, caste, Buddha

D Raja, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India, says a communist revolution is not possible in India by only focussing on economic concerns.

In this special two-part episode on What's Your Ism, Sudipto Mondal earlier spoke to the CPIM’s Sitaram Yechury. In this part, Raja reflects on the role of BR Ambedkar and the Buddha in shaping his communist ideology, Modi’s India, and international conflicts.

Although communists have traditionally been at loggerheads with identity movements, Raja says it's time to revise the theoretical positions held by classical Marxists. He also talks about why the CPI and the CPIM continue to be separate political parties despite being ideological twins.

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