"Disown Gandhi or Be Damned": M.N. Roy, Gandhi and fascism

This paper examines the philosophical origins of fascism through the lens of Indian Marxist M.N. Roy. In 1938, Roy published Fascism: Its Philosophy, Professions, and Practice, in which he contended that fascist tenets of spiritualism, reactionism, and caste originated in Indian philosophical traditions and, additionally, that militant nonviolence characterized Gandhian fascism. Using Fascism as a case study, this paper explores the ways in which Roy’s weaponization of fascism deepens our understanding of fascism, Eurocentrism, and empire. I contend that communist interpretations of fascism not only emboldened fascist seizures of power in Europe, but also perpetuated imperialist ideologies within its empires