Neo-fascist regimes divert attention from crisis by targeting minorities: Prabhat Patnaik

The Hindu

14-06-2025

Economist Prabhat Patnaik has said that neo-fascist regimes are systematically turning public anger against minorities and immigrants to deflect attention from deepening economic crises.
He was speaking on the second day of the EMS Smrithi event held at the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi hall here on Saturday on the topic 'Neoliberalism and Neo-Fascism.'
'These governments deliberately create public resentment against religious minorities and migrant communities, scapegoating them for all national problems,' Prof. Patnaik said. 'It is a strategic diversion to hide their failure in addressing economic distress.'
On violent groups
He further observed that such regimes not only misuse state institutions for repression, but also rely on violent majoritarian groups to carry out attacks on minorities, creating an atmosphere of fear and division.
Pointing to a broader global trend, Prof. Patnaik noted that many nations, including India, are drifting toward neo-fascist rule. A key feature of this shift, he argued, is the growing nexus between corporate capital and authoritarian power.
Prof. Patnaik further elaborated on how global arms corporations are actively supported and promoted by neo-fascist powers, who attempt to forge arms trade alliances worldwide. 'Even when they fail to protect their own economy, they resort to imposing steep tariffs on other nations as a desperate measure to overcome economic turmoil,' he added, criticising the emerging tendency to disregard international trade agreements, particularly by the U.S.
'To counter this dangerous rise of neoliberal and neo-fascist forces, it is imperative to implement strong alternative economic policies,' he said. These alternatives, he pointed out, must challenge inequality, protect labour rights, and constitutionally guarantee essential needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and employment.
Prof. Patnaik called for progressive reforms like wealth taxes on the ultra-rich and inheritance taxes on passed-down assets, stressing that only a radical rethinking of the economic order can curb the rising tide of authoritarianism.
'Political struggle'
'Ultimately, this is not just an economic struggle—it is a political one,' he concluded. 'And the working class must lead the charge.'
Addressing a session on 'Global Warming and Climate Change' S. Abhilash, director, Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research, Cochin University of Science and Technology, said the extreme weather events the world is facing today are not just natural calamities, they are the direct outcome of capitalist patterns of consumption.
Dr. Abhilash traced the roots of the climate crisis to the post-1860 Industrial Revolution, which triggered an unprecedented rise in fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions. 'This shift has significantly accelerated climate change,' he noted.
China currently leads the world in total greenhouse gas emissions, but when measured per capita, the U.S. tops the chart, he pointed out.
In response to the mounting crisis, global climate summits are convened under the banner of Conference of Parties (COP). However, geopolitical setbacks like the U.S. withdrawal from the climate accord during Donald Trump's presidency have undermined the collective action, he remarked.
'Climate change is a global phenomenon but its impacts are felt at the local level,' said Dr. Abhilash, emphasising the need for grassroots-level interventions. The crisis, he warned, affects people's livelihoods, public health, and habitat systems, cutting across all aspects of life.
Excessive consumption
Highlighting the role of excessive consumption in worsening the crisis, he asserted that 'scientific solutions alone are not enough. What we urgently need are political solutions.'
CPI general secretary Binoy Viswam, who addressed the valedictory, spoke about the 'Growth of Communal Politics in Kerala.'