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Comment by treeman321 | Hacker News Reader

this post 1.conflates of economic ideology and political ideology. 2.conflates political left, political center.

Political left was unpopular with the previous centrist government and with this one. But this one is especially intolerant to dissent. Prominent Dalit scholars and activists have been arrested because they "promote enmity between caste groups". Because surely asking for rights for the historically marginalized is 'promoting enmity'. The grassroots left movements are one of the biggest threats to caste politics and current establishment. Unfortunately, it currently doesn't have wide enough traction to change government policies.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-natio... https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/sudha-bh...

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I wholeheartedly agree to your argument that right & left is irrelevant in India.

An "Activist" however is not a peoples representative. In a democratic country, you stand for elections to become a peoples representative.

These "activists" are instead involved in armed violence with the democratic state.If they did that in 1950 fine, there is some justification but not in 2020.

I would call them terrorists, mafia or fascists - the Indian word is Naxal/Urban Naxal.

Democracy is not perfect, but I am not buying the promises of insanely wealthy self proclaimed activists who have enough money & resources to run armed conflicts and hire the best lawyer, but somehow never win in the elections.

> In a democratic country, you stand for elections to become a peoples representative.

Participatory democracy doesn't mean that responsibility ends the moment one gets off the voting booth. In fact, the resposibility starts right there, by casting the vote, to ensure that the representative works for the benefit of people.

Us Indians just find the latter part, of dealing with that responsibility, a lot harder, and just convince ourselves otherwise.

And anyone else would get termed "activist" "leftist".

Left => left nothing. Left out off the mainstream (development, benefits, facilities), for being contrarian.

Not left as in left hand side.

> I would call them terrorists, mafia or fascists - the Indian word is Naxal/Urban Naxal.

Pray enlighten the rest of us as to how the current regime favouring one particular corporation isn't fascism?

Where is this definition of "urban naxal" defined? Just because one thought so? If speaking against the atrocities of authorities is being "urban naxalism", most of the current leaders also did so, during the emergency in India. Is there a Retired/Erstwhile "Urban Naxal" title too, for them?

Please keep HN civil. Your ultra-right thoughts can find good currency on Twitter/Reddit.

HN being invaded by ultra-right, on a thread that talks about caste-based discrimination.

Guess it is enough Internet for one day!

What is it that I said makes me ultra-right?

India has been democratic for more than 70 years. I say picking up guns to disrupt civil society with an intent to capture power through violence is not Activism.

That is the recipe of fascism.

And "emergency" is by definition a suspension of democracy.

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