The Economic Consequences of Authoritarian Neoliberalism in India

Abstract

This article examines the complex relationship between right-wing authoritarianism and neoliberalism in India. It explores the consequences of the rightwing authoritarian electoral majority and its alliance with neoliberal forces on democracy, economic development and distributive justice in India. It attributes the decline in economic growth, widespread unemployment, and precariousness of labor market to the alliance between right-wing extremist forces and neoliberal capital. It specifically exposes the colossal economic muddle created by austerity measures and the retreat of the state from distributional spheres. It argues that authoritarian shocks injected by the state have played a decisive role in expanding the network of primitive accumulation through widespread displacement and dispossession of petty and small producers.