Abdul Rahman
(Book review of the two volumes of autobiography - 'Murdhahiya' and 'Manikarnika' by Tulsi Ram, | Rajkamal Prakashan | New Delhi)
The
rise of post-modernism in politics had adverse effect on issues of
revolutionary change. The questions of representation, empathy and domination
etc have affected not only the unity of the oppressed. It has, to a larger
extent, delegitimized the vanguards; the leadership. Hence, it is beyond any
doubt that one of the most vital challenges faced by the left (Indian or
otherwise) is the rise of identity politics. A large number of activists deserted
the organised left politics in the 1990s citing widespread indifference to the
issues of representation and social justice. In the Indian context the so
called ‘failure to recognise the centrality of caste as a tool of oppression
and exploitation’ and a kind of ‘obsession with the class contradiction’ are
identified as ‘problems with the left parties and movements’. Over and above
the ideological issues there is distrust prevalent among the marginalized
groups (manufactured or otherwise) about ‘the personal credibility’ of some of
the left leadership. The bitterness of the experiences within the organisation
has created enmity among some of the erstwhile left activists leading to
charges and allegations of caste bias against the leadership. This has been a
general trend in last few decades and hence one should be forgiven for being
surprised while reading Tulsi Ram’s autobiography. It is one of the rarest
books in Hindi which chronicles the life and times of a left activist who was
born in a Dalit family.