The Big Fight: Are We Seeing A Return Of 'Pro-Poor' Discourse?
Indira Gandhi had won an overwhelming majority just by raising the slogan of 'Garibi Hathao'. Before her, India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had raised the slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'. With a majority of Indians still struggling to find ways to enter the middle-class segment are 'pro-poor' slogans politically beneficial? If that's the reason then why is the Left - which claims to be the flag bearer of the poor, marginalised segment of India - is in a state of a terminal decline? Is the message lost somewhere in between or did the Left parties indulge in the same bourgeoisie tactics that they despise at least ideologically? Will Kanhaiya's speech show the veteran comrades of the Left a new 'way' of communication? Even if the Left parties fail to turn the tide is the discourse in the run up to 2019 general elections be predominantly Left?
