Fight for the Republic

This book of three essays by Sitaram Yechury, introduced by Prabhat Patnaik is the first in the series titled 'Contemporary Themes'. The basic theme running through the essays included here is: reason versus unreason. The fomenting of hatred by Hindutva forces in India against religious minorities is advanced on the basis of a perception of history based on an invoking of unreason. As against this, these essays promote inclusive nationalism founded on a reading of our history that relies on evidence and reason. Yechury states that India's anti-colonial nationalism sought to unite all segments of society in a common struggle, on the basis of a vision which ultimately got enshrined in the Constitution: the vision of a secular democracy committed to social justice and federalism. As against this, the Hindutva vision of a Hindu Rashtra is not just against the Constitution, not just majoritarian, but in openly advocating a second-class status for the minorities, indubitably 'fascistic'.