For the past ten years and to be precise since 2015, the world by and large has moved towards populist politics. Every political party without ideological distinction whatever irrespective of its shades and ideological positions tends to tow violent populism. The main driving force for these political parties to lunge is to capturing power and to acquire power and to reign-in power is only through unleashing violence for which state is empowered with.
Violent populism is currently the emergent phenomenon. And through this the violent mode the party uses effectively gets closer to its goals. In this age of violent political violence is being increasingly normalised. There has been no red-lines, but is on the ascendency day-by-day. Take the countries such as United States, Israel, Germany, England, Russia, China, Myanmar, India, and many others the police and military have been given absolute powers.
This is indeed a radical shift—a transition from democracy. The so-called democratic countries talk about freedom of expression and beacons of human rights, but colossal human rights abuses and violations taking place. India has further moved to the bottom in press freedom. Gradually India is tightening in the freedom of the press and writing. One is dictated what to write and what not to write. This trend is generational. In this transition, where spiralling of politics both parties be it left or right are aligned,
If this is the case political violence gets accelerated that makes the regime ruthless. In recent times after the disclosure of Episteme files those who are ruling the countries and some of their ministers have been involved in the disclosures. These leaders without an iota of guilt continues in their respective offices. This is why the nomenclature is changed—from governments to Episteme regimes. Those whose names appears do not care for moral integrity and accountability. The names cover Republican and Democrats, Labour, and others parties across.
Those who believe-in and belong to far-right, white supremist, xenophobia, casteist and racist tendencies. Those subscribing to Christian and Jewish Zionists, misogynists and other oppressive ideologies and political-cultural-social notions express their hatred in violent means and ways. They get the patronage from the ruling regimes. These groups and movements are getting organised and becoming stronger. They have taken law and order in their hands. Therefore, what we have been witnessing is lampoon politics.
The term ‘lumpen” derived from German for “rags”, which describes a degraded. Disenfranchised segment of society unconcerned about improving their situation, or refers to things that are heavy, stupid, and awkward. It is detrimental to polis (governance). Lumpenisation of politics is currently the order of the day where hooliganism, violence, and intimidation that are detrimental to realise their goals. Violent populism is premised on leveraging hatred, division, and anger. In this way polarise the society based on skewed ways.
Violent populism is an organised way of realising the goal and vision. If we take the recent happening the pattern and performance are the same in all the activities that are heinous and volatile. Even the symptoms and the causes leading to the effect resemble the same. Take for instance the question of immigration, citizenship, and voting rights seem to be creating more problems as the political parties and the leaderships keep creating problems for those who are in desperate need so that their identity and nationality be proven.
There are deep things happening around us. We are in fact getting frightened. As we look at the body politic of the leaders and their workers, they manifest sheer political violence having scant respect for law and order. They by nature reveal domestic terrorism premised on violent populism, showing not just bottom-up phenomenon, but top-down. Gaza is the classic case which United States enabled Israel to commit genocide in thousands slaughtering innocent children, women, and others including the reporters and UN humanitarian workers.
Both the United States and Israel are complicit having abdicated their role and accountability. Global comity of nations has condemned the sort of political violence including ICC and ICJ came out strongly by proving that Israel is involved in genocide. Months and years pass-by, but no arrests and stopping to the attacks. What we see and observe increasingly how political violence is getting normalised.
Israel has now moved from Gaza to Lebanon razing Southern part to ground; killing of children, women, and others in hundreds and thousands. Like Gaza, the settlers’ colony—Israel is destroying the educational institutions of Lebanon, so that its future would be in question like that of Gaza. Months and years Israel-American war on Gaza is going on; Russia-Ukraine and America-Israel against Iran. Those big power keep going in their attacks and killing not at all bothered about what the majority of the world thinks and proposes.
All those that wage war on others want to satisfy their constituencies such as MAGA and Jewish Zionists. Their approval rates are high and want their leaders to crush and totally destroy Hamas, Palestinians, Iranians, Lebanese and so on. In the meantime, the settlers in the settler colonial project keep infiltrating into the lands of Palestinians and occupying it. Violent populism is gaining momentum and have established their own world order.
Populist politics does make the voters to be lured to things what they receive materially from the political parties at the time of elections, not those that involves education, development, health care and host of others. Populism deflects what the political parties in the manifestos announced and agreed upon once they get into power. Populism move into another phase which is called as violent populism—create a solid constituency that agrees on divisive and polarising politics and then start violent means and methods to remain silent through intimidatory politics.
Dr. John Mohan Razu
Tuesday, May 5, 2026