MARXISM only offers powerful, unique and true critique of capitalism; hence, as long as capitalism lasts you cannot do without Marxism, asserted Professor Prabhat Patnaik.  He was delivering the keynote address at a seminar on ‘150 years of Capital’ and ‘Re-inventing Left’ at Bangalore on August 2.  The seminar was organised as part of the day-long celebration on the release of Kannada translation of ‘Capital Vol 1’. It was organised by Kriya Madhyama in collaboration with Navakarnatakaas, part of the ‘Marx 200-Capital 150’ project. Seven major works of Marx were translated into Kannada as part of the project, Capital Vol 1 being the last.

“Marxism's relevance to the future of this society is over or there is something other than sheer nostalgia why we should still be celebrating the translation of capital to Kannada.” Prabhat Patnaik posed this question and answered it in his address. Marxist critique of capitalism has two aspects. One is the more familiar aspect of critique consisting of - two value-forms of commodities; origin of surplus value, how labour power itself became a commodity, capitalist accumulation, industrial reserve army etc. Second unique aspect and which distinguishes it from others is, that capitalism is a ‘spontaneous’ system driven by its own immanent tendencies where the economic agents that appear at first sight to be acting as subjects, do what they do only because of the compulsion of the system itself. Capitalists for instance accumulate not because they wish to, but, because they are caught in a Darwinian struggle where any capitalist who does not do so would lose his place in the system. Marx in fact referred to the capitalist as ‘capital personified’, through whose persona, in other words, the behaviour of capital manifests itself. From these, Patnaik asserted that contrary to currently widespread notions, individual freedom and democracy are incompatible with capitalism. They can only be realised under socialism.

It has been the experience particularly with its neo-liberal version that capitalism cannot be reformed or humanised.  After Second World War, confronted with the power of socialist block and working class struggles, state regulation of capitalism advocated by Keynes was tried out to save capitalism.  But, it was abandoned soon as circumstances changed.  This phenomenon can only be explained by Marx’s thesis of spontaneous system, driven by its own immanent tendencies asserting itself.

Another unique aspect of Marxist critique of capitalism, is interpreting the world from the perspective of changing it, which means interpreting the world from a point of view that entails the construction of the image of an alternative world different from it; in contrast to the others that continue to remain trapped within the vision of the world as it exists. After describing them, Patnaik referred to these two positions as – ‘epistemic exteriority’ and ‘epistemic interiority’ vis-à-vis the world being interpreted.  Epistemically, interior perspective is being assiduously promoted at present by much of ‘liberal opinion’. An epistemically exterior position, in contrast, will recognise the necessity for transcending neo-liberal capitalism for human freedom. Human praxis is necessarily built on an alternative vision.

Epistemic exteriority, however, also underlies praxis designed to bring about only reforms. The demand for reforms in a slave society to make it more humane also invokes a picture of a society, which does not exist when the demand is made. But Marx talks of ‘revolutionary praxis’, emphasising the dialectics between reform and revolution. Reform and revolution are not two separate and disjoint activities; revolution is the outcome of an uncompromising commitment to reform, though the outcome necessarily has to go beyond the specific reform itself. The difference between a reformist and a revolutionary, lies not in the fact, that the former wants only reform, while the latter wants much more than reforms, but, in the fact that the former does not consistently want reforms, and, is willing to compromise even on the agenda of reforms to which he had expressed a commitment to start with. The reforms, he wants in short, are confined only to what the system is willing to provide, and do not constitute an inviolable minimal agenda. Professor Patnaik gave example of how Fidel Castro and his comrades started with a progressive national reforms perspective and became communist revolutionaries in the process.

Today, re-inventing Left involves critiquing neo-liberal capitalism from epistemic exteriority position and evolving an alternative vision from here-and now to future socialist society, Professor Patnaik opined.

Professor Nataraj Huliyar of Bangalore University, writer and activist H S Anupama and K N Umesh, CPI(M) state committee member also spoke in the seminar. G V Sreeramareddy chaired the session.

In the second session of the day, B M Puttaiah of Hampi Kannada University, coordinator, ‘Capital Kannada Translation Project’, Vasantharaja N K spoke on the topic-‘Why read Capital now’. V N Lakshminarayan, editorial board member, ‘Capital Kannada Translation Team’ delivered the presidential address.

Renowned writer and one of the leaders of ‘Bandaaya Literary Movement’,  Baraguru Ramachandrappa released the Kannada Translation of Capital Vol 1 in the third and last session. He said release of Kannada Translation of Capital Vol 1 is a historic occasion.  He explained the importance of studying Capital for understanding contemporary society. Reading Capital in particular and Marxism in general is essential when ‘real democracy’ is under attack from ‘technical democracy’, as witnessed in recent political developments in Karnataka.  Such a reading can only bring back ideology-based politics. As long as poverty, inequality is prevalent, Left will remain relevant. But, Left parties will have to introspect for their declining influence, he remarked.  CPI(M) state secretary, U Basavaraj, CPI state secretary, Saathi Sundaresh, state CITU general secretary-Meenakshi Sundaram, AITUC state general secretary-D A Vijaybhaskar and writer, activist-Neela spoke of importance of studying Capital, taking its message to working class and uniting Left forces. Siddangowda Patil chaired the session.

Bharat Scouts and Guides Auditorium, the venue where day-long celebration was held was overflowing with people from various walks of life. Over 800 copies of released ‘Capital Vol 1’ were sold with pre-publication discount coupons and spot sale on the day.