Girish’s critique of Marxism in this article is from the prism of his own experience, but not entirely wrong. The comparison with Islamism on the other hand is more provocative, reductionist, and an immature contention. Assuming the writer’s attempt is to highlight the ‘dictatorial’ tendency, that enterprise is then lost in the comparison of two diametrically opposite ideologies. However, the reader’s intelligence is not the concern of the writer; therefore, the analogy must stand.
Those Governments that have wielded Marxism as a weapon to overthrow previous rule have indeed imposed a dictatorship of one party. This is dissonant to minds that are only used to a democratic rule, of course. But this is to discount the fact that in a Marxist utopia, there is no govt eventually. Note: The absence of Government – not the dictatorial rule of One. Where does this go wrong? The human tendency towards Fascism; the Imperialist nature of Nationalism; and an inert state of State Capitalism that economically makes the same mistake as a free market economy. This is a recognized problem of Socialist Republics of yore but that is what a dialectic is for – to change and infuse change. Therefore, today’s dialectic is about Marxism in a Democratic realm; the Reform vs Revolution debate is done more in the context of democracy. It is no more incumbent on the revolutionary to invoke dictatorship to entrench Marxism in the people – because the Marxism is coming from the people.
To Islamism, even in a post-modern world, calling this an ideology is unpalatable to me because there is no ‘ideology’ in Islamism. An Islamist constitution is one of theology written in a time that was never consonant with democracy or freedom of speech, thought and expression. Yet, despite this, Egypt showed us that Islamist parties can enjoy support and use democracy. To then assume that they have a dictatorial tendency in default, is not based on fact and presumptuous. An Islamism that is a people's movement respecting Constitutional Freedoms could also ensure someday.
What Girish must, and probably does realize, is that the dictatorial tendency is what kills Marxism – it is fuelled and burns brightest in a democratic atmosphere. This may not be the same for Islamism as the converse holds true there.
