Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s patriarchy denial stresses the need for a shift from hyped nationalism to inclusive patriotism, the need to demand accountability and social justice for marginalized communities. Vinta Nanda writes… 

Photography: Vinta Nanda

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s recent dismissal of patriarchy in India, expressed with, "What patriarchy ya...!" reflects a troubling disconnect from the lived experiences of marginalized communities and raises questions about the role of leadership in advocating social justice. Her silence on gendered injustices, including the government’s release of convicted rapists and the prime minister’s derogatory comments against a female leader, emphasises the need for a shift from hyped nationalism to an inclusive patriotism that holds power accountable. This trend is mirrored globally, as right-wing movements, notably in the U.S., frame issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion as "woke" distractions from prosperity. Drawing on Sheldon Wolin’s critiques, this article calls for political discourse to refocus on socioeconomic equity, urging a re-evaluation of priorities that promote an inclusive vision of patriotism.   

Nirmala Sitharaman was attending an event at Jain University in Bengaluru on 11^th November 2024, when a student said a lot of women do not get support from the family despite working hard. “Even if they do, they are pushed into a patriarchal world.” Responding to this, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “What’s patriarchy ya. If you are able to stand up and speak for yourself logically, which is that patriarchy which is going to say shut up, sit down. Impossible. Not certainly in a country like India. Impossible. But if Patriarchy is a guise we want to give ourselves and say my inefficiency and my not being ready, we want to cover it up by saying oh patriarchy is stopping me…no way. Who stopped Mrs Indira Gandhi from becoming the Prime Minister of the Country (heartless?).”  

The dismissal of patriarchy in India by her reveals the complexities of power and responsibility. Such a stance, especially from a high-ranking female official, raises questions about accountability toward marginalized communities. Sitharaman’s silence on gendered injustices—from the Prime Minister’s derogatory remarks about Mamata Banerjee during election rallies to the release of Bilkis Bano’s rapists by the Modi government just a few among the many instances which demanded for her to speak—suggests a disturbing complicity. Power, in this case, may obscure the need to advocate for those left unheard. This evasion of responsibility itself gives perspective to the patriarchy her commentary denies.

Global Right-Wing Narratives and “Woke” Distractions

This trend is mirrored globally, with right-wing narratives, attempting to frame diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues as "woke" distractions from economic progress. The recent U.S. election cycle positioned progressive ideals as threats to prosperity, creating an atmosphere where fundamental issues of social justice are dismissed as elitist concerns. Philosopher Herbert Marcuse’s notion of "repressive de-sublimation" provides insight into how grand, escapist spectacles—such as Elon Musk’s Mars colonization ambitions—divert attention from immediate socioeconomic inequities. Marcuse describes how technological rationality in advanced industrial society (capitalism) erodes the critical and transcendent qualities of "higher culture." Art, once a medium for envisioning "what is not" beyond "what is," becomes commodified, losing its oppositional force and blending seamlessly into the structure of capitalist society.  

Capitalist Diversions: The Mars Colonization Hype

Musk's Mars project serves as a powerful example of how capitalist narratives create futuristic distractions that overshadow present needs (also recall here the BJP’s rhetoric on “Viksit Bharat in 2047”). His ambitions suggest that expanding technological frontiers will somehow resolve fundamental societal inequalities, but such visions can lead to what Karl Marx critiqued as "the ruling ideas" that ultimately reflect the interests of those in power. While Musk’s goals capture public imagination, these visions also reinforce capitalism’s tendency to prioritize individual gains over societal well-being.

Political discourse seems increasingly preoccupied with spectacle over governance. When political leaders concentrate on winning elections rather than governing with integrity, social issues are reduced to campaign talking points, and fundamental societal concerns are lost. Compounding these issues is the growing threat of job loss due to AI and automation. Historian Yuval Noah Harari has warned of the dangers of creating a "useless class," as technological advancements become the most dire threat in the 21^st century to job security across industries. This “new kind of poverty,” where people may be deprived not of wealth but of purpose, poses a serious risk if left unaddressed.

Spectacle Over Governance in Politics

Social media plays a significant role in amplifying these distractions. Marshall McLuhan’s adage, "The medium is the message," means that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived. It explains how platforms like X (formerly Twitter), under the influence of powerful figures, can shape public discourse to prioritize spectacle over substance. Social media algorithms, tuned to engage users deeply, can subtly discourage or sway voters by promoting disillusionment and fatigue with traditional democratic choices. This effect was especially noticeable in the recent U.S. elections, where the constant stream of stories, ironically shared more widely by shocked supporters of Harris than Trump’ supporters, on humanitarian crises led a sizeable number left-leaning voters to abstain rather than support centrist positions, inadvertently aiding the right-wing.

Managed Democracy and the Threat to True Democratic Power

Political scientist Sheldon Wolin warned against a “managed democracy,” where corporate interests eclipse public ones, leading to oligarchic systems that overlook essential needs. In Democracy Incorporated, Sheldon Wolin delivers a powerful critique of America's transformation into what he terms "inverted totalitarianism"—a political hybrid where corporate and state powers merge, leading to a "managed democracy." In this model, one that is also gripping India’s democracy rapidly, citizens are subtly disempowered and shepherded rather than sovereign, with neo-elites encouraging political passivity of especially the people they employ to preserve their control. Falling over the powerful and abstaining from speaking against injustice for personal benefits or for fear of risking jobs, positions, abuse and trolling from right-wing social media armies, has indeed led even the most concerned to be silent and to allow the worst happen - it is dangerous because the day is not far, when the very wrong bypassed today will come around to get everyone.

Wolin argues that unchecked economic power, though not comparable to overtly totalitarian regimes, can distort democracy by prioritizing profit and power over public interest. He warns that the endless pursuit of economic growth and the perpetual war on terror serve to justify this control, creating an environment where citizens are lulled into submission. He suggests that the true remedy for this erosion lies at the local level, with individuals reengaging in community politics to reclaim democratic power.

His analysis serves as both a warning and a call to action for citizens world over to safeguard democracy from within.