'Controversy was the breath of Marx's life and he revelled in it. We are therefore not at all apologetic', wrote Puran Chand Joshi in the preface to Karl Marx: A Symposium, published in 1968 commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Marx, adding further, (It is) 'in the best Indian tradition to operate with belief and hope that it is only through the clash of ideas that truth emerges.' At a time, when a Marxian renaissance has been taking place in academia, Joshi's words reverberate with a new vitality, an evanescence of 'official Marxism' and official Marxist parties notwithstanding. There is no denying that the so-called Marxists now pay dearly for wavering 'between a rather mechanistic interpretation of crisis and its opposite: the conviction that capitalism could only be overcome by an act of will.'
This book is the outcome of an international conference on Karl Marx organised by ADRI in Patna between June 16 and 20, 2018 keeping the new Marxian reality in mind. Over 50 scholars from across the world sent papers to the Conference, covering topics such as economics, politics, society, philosophy, etc. ADRI welcomed them with an open mind in sync with the Marxian reawakening that treats Marx historically and critically.
This book is co-published with Aakar Books, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the print versions of this book in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Sankar Ray is a veteran journalist & commentator, specialising in left politics and environment. He has published his articles in major national English dailies and periodicals. An activist for nearly four decades, he was associated with the CPI between 1962 and 1977. He calls himself a Marx-adherent and not a Marxist.
Shaibal Gupta is the founding Member Secretary of the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), Patna. His latest co-edited book is Karl Marx's Life, Ideas, and Influences: A Critical Examination on the Bicentenary (Palgrave, 2019). His recent monographs include Idea of the Hindi Heartland (ADRI, 2014) and Idea of Bihar (ADRI, 2013). His articles have appeared in the Indian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Times of India and other leading dailies, and in periodicals, including Economic and Political Weekly.
