Abstract
This discussion examines the political power of dominant cultural ideologies, focusing on India’s current context through the lens of Gramsci’s theories. Gramsci argued that capitalist democracy is inherently contradictory, sustained by hegemonic cultural values that convince subaltern groups to accept exploitative systems. Today, global oligarchs increasingly reject democracy as a hindrance to capitalism, fueling the rise of right-wing populism backed by billionaires. The 2024 elections in India and the U.S. illustrate this global trend of elite resistance to democracy.
Despite moves toward authoritarianism in India, the unexpected resistance from subaltern groups in India’s 2024 elections challenges this trajectory. The seminar explores concepts like hegemony, passive revolution, and subaltern emancipation, drawing on thinkers such as Fabio Frosini, Christophe Jaffrelot, and B.R. Ambedkar to reflect on what these dynamics mean for Dalit subalterns in 2025.
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