2 SOCIAL SCIENTIST
imperialism but in opposition to some hapless domestic minority? The Indian experience would suggest the later perspective on fascism: even though the Congress-led national movement had substantial communal elements within it, the RSS, the core of the Hindutva movement, was never a part of any anti-colonial struggle. (And even Savarkar of the Hindu Mahasabha who began as a fighter against colonialism ended up meekly compromising with it). Likewise, should one accept the imperialist characterization of the Milosevic regime as 'fascist', notwithstanding whatever odious policies it might have pursued, when it is engaged in such a significant anti-imperialist struggle?
Questions such as these need to be debated at length in Marxist circles, and urgently. It is the great merit of Ahmad's article that it initiates such a debate in a forthright manner.
K.M. Shrimali's paper highlights the attempt being made in our country to obliterate a pluralistic cultural heritage under the banner of cultural nationalism. It also draws attention to the significant fact that such attempts are occurring elsewhere as well and are not necessarily confined to the fascist groups alone, though the latter tend to be the chief source of inspiration behind such attempts. Even the European Union has been lavishly funding campaigns with chauvinistic overtones. The complementary paper by D.N. Jha makes meticulous use of historical evidence to destroy several communal myths, such as the claim for instance that the 'Muslims' were destroyers of 'Hindu' temples and that they converted 'Hindus' to Islam by force.
Between December 28,1998, and January 1, 1999, SAHMAT had organised a five-day convention and festival on secular cultural action, which was attended by activists from other South Asian countries as well as from the Indian diaspora. We carry a report on that important event by Mira Rosenthal.