Marxist Theory Of The State And Its Relevance To Contemporary India
Vaibhav Sharma, B.B.A.LL.B., National Law University Odisha
ABSTRACT
The Marxist theory of the state offers a critical approach to the idea of the connection between political power and economic structures. This theory, which was formulated mostly through the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, is of the view that the state is like a tool of class subjugation and that it is mainly used to fulfill the interests of the economically superior class.1 This view holds that the political institutions, the law and the policies that the people have are usually an embodiment of the interests of the people that own economic resources. The Marxist analysis has become popular again in modern societies (especially in the developing democracies like India) because of discussions on inequality, corporate power, labour rights, and property ownership. Even though India exists in the constitutional democratic system, the ongoing economic inequalities and tensions between capital and labour are indicators that there are some aspects of Marxism theory that are still applicable to the role of modern state functioning. This research paper explores the essential concepts of the Marxist state theory and discusses their applicability to the modern India. It deals with topics of economic inequality, corporate power in policy making, labour relations, and land acquisition wars. The study will examine whether the Indian state is more of a neutral welfare institution or it is more of a structural bias towards the advantage of the dominant classes in the economy. By using qualitative research of the academic literature and recent socioeconomic trends, the paper aims at evaluating the explanatory power of the Marxist theory in understanding the contemporary politics and governance in India.
