ABSTRACT
Since the colonial period, peoples’ protest has been an integral part of transformative politics in India’s peasant society. However, in recent years it has acquired several new dimensions, especially in the wake of the resurgence of populism. Populism is an ideology of large-scale mass mobilization and arousal of mass aspiration against elite domination. It not only aims to challenge and transform the established power structure but also tries to integrate the aspirations and interests of a large segment of the population with such mobilization. It has increased the possibilities of cross-class alliances, often on ethno-political, religious or nationality lines. Against this backdrop, this chapter outlines some key defining characteristics of populism, and then demonstrates how these are reflected in the historical development of peasant movements in West Bengal. These are examined in the context of a changing economic and technological framework and the emergence of new expectations and dynamics of collective mobilization and emancipatory politics that has seen the grassroots resurgence of populism.
