PROBINGS AND RE-PROBINGS: Essays in Marxian Reawakening

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Controversy was the breath of Marx’s life and he revelled in it. We are therefore not at all apologetic’, wrote Puran Chand Joshi in the preface to Karl Marx: A Symposium, published in 1968 commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Marx, adding further, (It is) ‘in the best Indian tradition to operate with belief and hope that it is only through the clash of ideas that truth emerges.’ At a time, when a Marxian renaissance has been taking place in academia, Joshi’s words reverberate with a new vitality, an evanescence of ‘official Marxism’ and official Marxist parties notwithstanding. There is no denying that the so-called Marxists now pay dearly for wavering ‘between a rather mechanistic interpretation of crisis and its opposite: the conviction that capitalism could only be overcome by an act of will.’

An international conference on Karl Marx between June 16 and 20, 2018 in Patna was organised by ADRI keeping the new Marxian reality in mind. Over 50 scholars from across the wolrd sent papers to the Conference, covering topics such as economics, politics, society, philosophy, etc. ADRI welcomed them with an open mind in sync with the Marxian reawakening that treats Marx historically and critically.

Sankar Rayis a veteran journalist specialising in Left politics and history as also environmental issues. He has published his articles in major national English dailies and periodicals. An activist for nearly four decades, he was private secretary to Dr. Ranen Sen, member of the Lok Sabha representing the CPI between 1962 and 1977. Ray had a theoretical persuit during his party life. He calls himself a Marx-adherent and not a Marxist.

Shaibal Guptais the founding Member Secretary of the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), Patna. His latest co-edited book isKarl Marx’s Life, Ideas, and Influences: A Critical Examination on the Bicentenary(Palgrave, 2019). His recent monographs includeIdea of the Hindi Heartland(ADRI, 2014) andIdea of Bihar(ADRI, 2013). His articles have appeared in theIndian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Times of Indiaand other leading dailies, and in periodicals, includingEconomic and Political Weekly.