Baby calls for detoxification of society from fascist ideals propagated by RSS
The Hindu
CPI(M) general secretary emphasizes the need to defeat BJP's cultural nationalism project to safeguard democracy and secularism.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] general secretary M.A. Baby has observed that while politically defeating the fascist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-controlled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is important, even more important is defeating their fake cultural nationalism project through which they are invading people’s minds.
He was speaking after releasing the Malayalam translation of the book, Being Muslim in Hindu India written by Ziya Us Salam, Associate Editor of The Hindu, here on Saturday (June 14, 2025).
“What is needed parallel to a political fight is a cultural fight by democratic and secular forces to detoxify people’s minds of fascist ideals. Otherwise, even if the BJP is electorally defeated in the future, the RSS will continue to work in Indian society,” Mr. Baby said.
“The electoral setback suffered by the BJP in last year’s general elections is a lesson that attempts by the Modi-led neo-fascist, majoritarian forces to set up a Hindu State with the backing of the corporate and the neo-rich can be effectively resisted by democratic and secular forces, if they so desire. However, whether the political parties, which are supposed to learn lessons from that, are acting accordingly remains a question,” he said.
Mr. Baby said that Modi, whose party lost its majority in the last general elections and now relies on two crutches — the Janata Dal (United) and the Telugu Desam Party — is trying to win back popular support by politically exploiting the post-Pahalgam scenario, just as he did before the 2019 general elections.
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