EMS
Namboodirippad (2010), History, Society and Land Relations, New Delhi: LeftWord
books, pp. 239.
EMS Namboodirippad was the leader
of the first democratically elected Communist government in the world when he
became the first chief minister of Kerala in southern India in 1957. A
political leader and a Marxist thinker of immense influence, his essays are a
great introduction to his critical approach to understanding Indian society and
history. This is one of the two books of his collected essays in English (the
other being The Frontline Years), both published by LeftWord. For the student
who is interested in Indian history and society, his work is valuable because EMS
was that rare breed of practitioner-theoretician, who had at his disposal data
and field observations of considerable scale. Furthermore, he chose to analyze
them academically, making the sources of his data and the methodology employed transparent.
This is especially evident in his examination of the question of land ownership
and social classes, a problem still relevant in many developing countries today.
The
core thesis
This book contains 14 essays and
one interview. The essays thematically span Marxist analysis of history (3
essays), the question of caste, class and the Indian national question (6
essays) and a detailed examination of the feudal system and land relations in
Kerala (3 essays). There are two odd essays- one on the Marxist interpretation
of the separation of idealist and materialist philosophy in India and the other
on the possible trajectories of evolution of the Indian judiciary.
The core thesis of EMS’ analysis
is that he sees Asian societies as exception (along with Germanic, Slavonic and
Ancient classical societies) to the linear evolution of history from primitive
communism to slavery, feudalism and capitalism of the European kind that Marx argued.
Relying on Marx’s Notes (1956-57), EMS contends that these societies underwent
a different form of transition into ‘village societies’ that was crucial in deploying
property relations differently and eschewing slavery and serfdom. For example,
in these societies, the individuals are never fully separated from the society and
are tied by bonds of kinship or locality. Furthermore, property claims in land
is differentiated from that of labour. Therefore, a land lord is not merely a
rent collecting agent (economic role), but the head of an inherited social
system (caste and its variants). This duality of economic and social relations
needs to be considered whilst analyzing political and social questions in the
contexts of such societies.
Barring a few typographical errors, the book is an important contribution to critical historical thinking in India. The essays are thematically presented with a brief introduction. Although the
articles are rooted in their historical circumstances, the analytical method
and the questions that the author evoke remain relevant to this day. A timely
revisit to the old questions!
