In a recently organised event in Chennai, Prajna Pravah National Convener and writer J Nandakumar spoke at length about the evils and concerns over wokeism and cultural Marxism in Bharat. He recalled Azim Premji University titled “Annihilating Hinduism,” highlighting the blatant targeting of Hindu culture under the guise of academic discourse. In his speech, he dwelt at length in explaining what is wokesim and Cultural Marxism.
Nandakumar, editor of Kesari, a weekly magazine, emphasized the importance of spreading awareness about Hindutva nationwide and didn’t go away from addressing contemporary manifestations of wokeism. He also discussed how small children in schools are being encouraged to claim their pronouns and how woke theory promotes that gender can change in mere hours. These examples underscored the rapid and concerning spread of these ideologies, particularly among the youth. Nandakumar drew a clear line between the positive aspects of being woke – as in “awake” or aware, as exemplified in Bharatiya scriptures and Swami Vivekananda’s famous call to उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत, क्षुरासन्न धारा निशिता दुरत्यद्दुर्गम पथ: तत् कवयो वदन्ति that translates to “Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is reached,” and the narrow-mindedness and intolerance that characterize modern wokeism.
Tracing the origins and implications of wokeism, he found its roots to classical Marxism and its evolution into cultural Marxism, which he stated targets thinkers and students through academic institutions. Nandakumar ji warned of attempts to infiltrate cultural and educational institutions to promote divisive ideologies.
Nandakumar ji raced the genesis of wokeism back to the failure of classical Marxism. He said as communism fell out of favour, its proponents sought new avenues to spread their ideas. This led to the birth of cultural Marxism, which shifted focus from the working class to intellectuals and students. He then detailed how this ideology transformed into academic study materials, infiltrating fields like gender studies, anthropology, and political science. Nandakuamr said” By controlling educational curricula and media narratives, cultural Marxists aim to shape societal perceptions and values. This approach has led to the promotion of “critical consciousness” over traditional or what they term “false consciousness”.
He proposed several counter-strategies and said, “Education was highlighted as a crucial battleground, with calls to reclaim traditional educational systems (Indic knowledge systems) while blending them with modern knowledge. The establishment of new universities and the promotion of online learning platforms were suggested as ways to offer alternative perspectives”. He also advocated for economic action, encouraging the audience to boycott corporate brands involved in woke propaganda and instead support smaller and medium-sized businesses that align with traditional values
The Nandkumar said, “It’s time for those who value traditional Bharatiya culture and social harmony to stand up, speak out, and actively work to preserve our heritage while addressing genuine social issues in a balanced and constructive manner. Only through such concerted efforts can we, as the Hindu Samaj, hope to counter the tide of wokeism and cultural Marxism and build a truly inclusive society that is respectful of diverse viewpoints and grounded in the timeless principles of Bharatiya civilisation.
He said, “Cultural Marxism thrives on societal anarchy, using chaos as a springboard for political takeover. This strategy directly impacts Bharatiya traditions and culture, systematically undermining family values and eroding trust in societal institutions. As he explained, the ultimate goal is destroying a society’s culture, language, nature, and traditions.”
VIGIL organised this event on June 23, 2024 in Chennai with an objective of spreading pro-Bharat thoughts and fostering nationalism. VIGIL team’s convener, Sathyanarayan, opened the seminar by introducing VIGIL and the work it had done in the past and its transformation over the years. The organization aims to counter anti-India narratives on social media and promote nationalism through various initiatives, including speeches and book launches.
