India is on the path to Freedom
Politics - Indian State Elections - Sennaya Swamy Naickar - 08th May 2026
Protests broke out in one of the biggest industrial township of Asia in the northern Indian city Noida, Uttar Pradesh state in Apr 2026. Thousands of Factory workers took to the street demanding higher wages from their employers. Basic necessities like cooking gas has become costly (prices grew 80% - additional of 900 rupees per cylinder of household gas) amid shortages due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz caused by the Iran war. The meagre wages these industrial workers earn (average of 12000 rupees per month or 100 pounds) were not enough to sustain their families . The opposition parties Indian National congress and state parties and communists accused the government to be the main culprit and a cause for these protest. No one stood on the picket lines with these workers to project political support to this protests. Afraid of this protest spreading. The Hindu nationalist ruling party Barathiya Janatha Party BJP government took action quickly to increase the minimum wage for these workers. The situation stopped there. This is a miniature of the current state of Indian politics.
No Politics for working people
90 percent of Indian workers work in the informal sector i.e. they do not have statutory rights like minimum wages, Maternity/paternity leaves , pensions, insurance or 8 hour workday and other social securities. Indian growth rate (GDP) has been close 8% year on year and is considered one of the fastest growing economies in the world. But the share for workers in this growth has been declining year on year since independence from the Britian in 1947.More Money has gone to owners of capital (65% of GDP) rather than workers (35% of GDP) according to the IMF. Real wage growth for the majority of its workforce has remained stagnant, averaging a mere 0.4% annually over the past decade according to the international labour organization (ILO). More and more young Indians have taken to betting and gambling in sports (25% of total Indian population or 140 million people regularly bet on sport events) and the share market (12.5 billion losses encountered by retail investors in 2025) as their wages are not enough to run their day to day lives. Work has lost its meaning and worth.
Politics of 'Handouts'
The ruling nationalist BJP party is straightforward. They are religious ,nationalist and pro Capitalist. But the opposition (The Indian National Congress (INC) , Communists and regional parties) are not anything different. In fact, the opposition are deceptive about its true nature and have divided the Indian people by Caste, Creed, Gender , region and language . The politics of the INC and its coalition are very similar to the 'divide and rule' policy that Britain implemented in its colonies. Their economic model over the years have been to provide freebies using the state machinery via increased government spending buying electoral votes for these handouts . To fund this handouts these parties have promoted anti social activities like gambling, alcohol as a source of taxation. It is as if the British never left India.
Winds of change
This model was sustainable when the energy prices were lower and the inflation was at manageable levels. But this is not the case now. Energy prices have sky rocketed after the closure of the strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing Iran war and shortages to fuel and fertilizers will further increase the cost of living pressures. This economic model is coming to an end. This was indicative during current elections where Four major states with devolved powers from the Union of India faced local elections (similar to Holyrood elections here in Scotland). The states involved were in the east - West Bengal (major rice producer) , Assam (The Tea state , semiconductors and oil refineries) , in the South , Tamil Nadu (Industrial hub - The 'iphone' state) and Kerala ('The foreign exchange remittance state with the most Diaspora') .The BJP - The Nationalist Hindu party won in 2 of these states in Assam , West Bengal , turning Indian map more nationalist saffron and religious than ever before. The other 2 southern states have also had a change of rule moving further right with communists losing power in Kerala and the regional party - DMK losing power to an actor turned politician Vijay in Tamil Nadu.
It is encouraging to see the politics of India has moved from a quagmire of gender ,caste , language to a much bigger front of religion and nationalism . These are winds of change which will take the country to the next stage of the class struggle. We will soon be seeing a true political opponent emerge who will stand for workers against capital. They will bring a bright future to the people of this country and make them aspire for better. India is on the path to freedom.
Sennaya Swamy Naickar
Scottish Socialist Party
Published in Scottish Socialist Voice
issue 644 , 12th May 2026