Gramsci’s Thought, written by E.M.S. Namboodiripad and P. Govinda Pillai

What is it about?

E.M.S. Namboodiripad (1909-1998) was one of the most important communist leaders India has seen. In the 1990s, he became greatly interested in the writings of the Italian communist leader and thinker Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937). In 1996, along with noted Marxist intellectual P. Govinda Pillai (1926-2012), Namboodiripad wrote a book in Malayalam – the main language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala – titled 'Gramsciyan Vichaara Viplavam' [Gramscian Revolution in Thought] (1996). An English translation of the book has been brought out in 2021 by LeftWord Books, New Delhi under the title 'Gramsci's Thought'. The book will be of interest to readers across the globe at a time when the Left movement in much of the world is trying to find its way forward. _x000D_ _x000D_ Gramsci had been jailed by the fascist rulers of Italy in 1926. He spent nearly eleven years in prison, and his most important writings were produced during this time. India today is ruled by the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the political arm of a fascist organisation known as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which wants to turn India into a Hindu State. Under BJP rule, big corporations have grown enormously, while the real income of the vast majority of people has declined. These policies are imposed through authoritarian means._x000D_ _x000D_ 'Gramsci's Thought' provides a valuable entry-point for readers and activists in India to think about ways to understand the present situation and to change it for the better.

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