Fascism: A Deep Dive into its Roots and Manifestations

How old is Hitler after death?
When will he return completely to history?
When will Hitler leave all those countries
Where by name again and again
He is ruling
But, a Harvard professor says–
Hitler is a race that will be born again
For many years I have been in class
Teaching democracy, freedom, liberalism
But Hitler is being born
Hitler is a race that will be born again.
– Rajav

If Hitler is a 'race', it is the most ferocious and captivating race. Such a race, which is a mechanism for operating as a system and thought or ideology. Hitler alone did not contribute to creating such a system and thought.

Hitler was merely a skilled operator of such a system and mechanism. He was a thinker– the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who declared 'The Death of God'. Hitler's philosophical guru of the 20th century, the ideological progenitor of fascists.

Nietzsche, who considered Christianity a religion of slaves, untouchables, or shudras and taught hatred towards Jews. Nietzsche of the 19th century was a carrier of ideas that spread hatred and created 'supermen', Hitler.

Hitler's guru Nietzsche also had a great guru– Manu. The sage who composed the Manusmriti twenty to twenty-two hundred years ago. The composer of the scripture that created laws imposing all oppression and insult on dasas, chandalas, or shudras. The composer of the scripture that considers Brahma the creator of the universe, and Brahmins the highest, best, pure, and knowledgeable varna.

Our rulers who govern the state, society, family, and mind based on Manusmriti, which is said to have been written by none other than Manu– are Manadeva of the Lichhavi era, Jayasthiti Malla of the Malla era, Ram Shah of the Shah era to Jung Bahadur Rana of the Rana era.

How delighted would Nietzsche, born and active in writing during Jung Bahadur's time, have been if he had known about the 'Mulkuki Ain' written in 1854! Singing the praises of these rulers who sought to establish the supremacy of one varna, he might have written another 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra'.

Praising that scripture, new Hitlers would have annihilated shudras, chandalas, and mlecchas. The ideological thread of supporting one religion, the supremacy of one varna, and hatred and violence towards other religions, varnas, castes, ethnicities, communities, or nations is connected from Manu to Hitler.

• Some specific aspects of Fascism

Fascism, which appeared in the 20th century, has some specific aspects. For example, monopoly capitalism is linked to the economy. Fascists are seen advocating for even more monopoly capitalism when capitalism faces a crisis.

Authoritarianism is the core character of fascists in politics. They abolish liberal democratic values and structures. They have emerged either as elected dictators, or as power-grabbers from the streets, or as a combination of both.

Looking at the culture of fascists, a strong attachment to the past is found. The tendency to revel in the greatness of one's country, the glory of one's traditions, and the eternity, civility, and superiority of one's culture is strong. Patriarchal practices are intensely seen in their society and family.

In their behavior, the place of women is limited to three English letters 'K': 'Kinder', 'Küche', 'Kirche' meaning children, kitchen, and church. In the example of Germany, the role of women is limited to bearing children for the nation, managing the kitchen, and attending church.

The personal character of most fascists is sadistic, enjoying the suffering of others. In terms of thought or ideology, they advocate for the superiority and dominance of their own race, varna, color, caste, ethnicity, community, gender, or region. They create a narrative of 'us' and 'them', considering those outside themselves as 'others' or strangers, calling them mlecchas, and practicing othering. Others are blamed for problems and crises or considered worthy of punishment and responsible for crimes.

In this sense, if blindness, devotion, and militancy are seen together in an individual or group in terms of their perspective and mentality, and if hatred, animosity, and violence towards others are also mixed in, it is correct to understand that 'fascism has been prepared'.

• Mass Hysteria

This actually manifests as hysteria in psychological terms, whether in an individual or in a group or community. When this mental problem, seen in individuals, is seen collectively and communally, it is called 'mass hysteria'.

Examples of mass hysteria are seen in the protests against the Madhesi community during the Hrithik Roshan incident, and against the Muslim community on Bhadra 16 when Nepalis were killed in Iraq. This has also manifested in the increasing violence in the Terai-Madhes in the name of cows in recent years or in the ongoing protests against the Muslim community.

Similarly, it was also seen in the collective frenzy against political leaders of old parties and business establishments on Bhadra 24.

This mass hysteria is actually developing as a social movement. History shows that it has been led by the middle class. This regressive and ultra-nationalist, militant and violent movement, driven by the petty bourgeoisie class, which is severely affected during capitalist crises and fears falling into the lower class, is fascism.

• Why are we preparing to die, to kill?

In this movement, members of the lower class are made most active, whose interests and welfare fascists have historically not protected.

The only question is, why do people from the working or lower classes support these fascists who do not protect their own interests and welfare? Why are they ready to die and kill for others, especially for myths and narratives created by others? Why are they ready to use violence in the name of nation, country, religion, race, varna, caste, ethnicity, community, region, or any other name?

Why does the class that is supposed to be engaged in the movement for class liberation, and its members, become fascists? Is it not possible that even within our minds, the minds of the most exploited class or oppressed community, the oppressor resides? Are we not also authoritarian, patriarchal, or sadistic, who, during a major crisis, seek an avatar or a miracle?

Why do we seek a magician or savior to make underdevelopment, misgovernance, and poverty disappear? Why do we surrender ourselves to a captivating personality? Why do we follow populist ideas and offer our conscience at their feet? Why are we ready to be ruled by one of their statuses?

The fact that we have gathered here to think, reflect, and ponder means that our conscience, our intellect, is not dead. If we fail to doubt, distrust, question, and distinguish between right and wrong, justice and injustice, as Buddha and Marx have said, we too will die.

We do not accept any ism, ideology, or personality that seeks to make us merely a maddened mob or herd that lives and dies, or dies and kills.

(The views expressed by Mahajan, author of the book 'Unmad: Fascism Manthan', at the 'Fascism Manthan' program organized at Pragya Pratishthan on Friday.)