Be wary of fascism: Prabhat Patnaik

Hyderabad: Eminent economist Prof. Prabhat PatnaikA cautioned about growing signs of creeping fascism in the country with the help the neo-liberal economic policies being pursued by successive governments that were creating vast unemployment. He was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day national level seminar titled 'India Today: Looking Back, Looking Forward' being organised by Sundarayya Vignana Kendram on the occasion of birth centenary of Putchalapalli Sundarayya here on Saturday. Professors Amiya Bagchi and Aijaz Ahmed were the other main speakers in the session that was chaired by CPI (M) state secretary BV Raghavulu. Speaking on the occasion, he felt that one of the signs of creeping fascism was the increasing desire of the corporate-financial interests in our country to acquire direct control over the State. "This is evident from the fact that they are projecting Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister of the country -- a person with communal-fascistic record and who has literally handed over the entire economy of his state to corporate-financial interests," asserted the professor. Professor Aijaz Ahmed dealt with changing forms and fortunes of communalisms in our country since Independence. He felt that communalism in all its forms is deeply ingrained in the very structures of Indian society and day-to-day politics -- so deeply that much of it passes unnoticed. He said the present ruling classes of the country are turning their back on our anti-colonial tradition and seeking to redefine nationalism in religious and majoritarian terms. Neo-liberalism and communalism are seen as two sides of the same coin. Prof Ahmed felt that the social disorientation caused by the neo-liberal capitalist path of development creates conditions for lumpenisation of sections of proletariat. Professor Jayati Ghosh spoke about 'Economic Policies and Womens Work' while another economist Smita Gupta dwelt on 'State Policies and Women'. Kalyani Menon Sen threw light on the 'Political Economy of Violence against Women'.