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The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Neo-fascist regimes divert attention from crisis by targeting minorities: Prabhat Patnaik
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.'
The Hindu
02-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Recognition for Cusat PhD scholar
Devika M. V., PhD scholar at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR) in Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), has won the outstanding student and PhD candidate presentation award at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2025 held in Vienna, Austria. Her award-winning poster titled 'Upper Tropospheric Humidity and Cloud Radiative Forcing: A Tropical Perspective' was prepared under the guidance of her PhD supervisor Ajil Kottayil, Scientist D, at the ACARR, and Viju. O. John, Climate Product Expert, EUMETSAT, Germany, according to a release issued by the varsity.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Unusually high-speed winds over Kerala, a throwback to 2018
The unusual pattern of high-speed wind in Kerala since the onset of the monsoon bears close resemblance to the wind that lashed the State in 2018, just ahead of the August floods that year. The speed of the monsoon low-level jet measured in the wind profiler radar of the Cusat's Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR) was 20 m/s (approximately 72 kmph) at around 2 km height from the surface on Thursday. In 2018, the core speed of the monsoon low-level jet was about 20 m/s on August 14, the day ahead of the flood. This is unusual considering the climatological normal of the low-level jet speed over Kerala, which used to hover around 10-15 m/s, said Ajil Kottayil, scientist, Advanced Centre for Automatic Radar Research. The higher speed of westerly winds will normally pump a large quantity of moisture from the Arabian Sea to the land. Further, the orographic lifting of clouds, including their depth and extent, would be higher than normal during such situations, leading to intense spells of rain over the land, said Mr. Kottayil. In various districts The automatic weather stations under the India Meteorological Department also recorded high gusty winds across the State. Palakkad recorded 68.5 kmph strong wind followed by Wayanad 66.6 kmph, Idukki 61.1 kmph, Thiruvananthapuram 55.5 kmph, Kannur 53.7 kmph, Pathanamthitta 53.7 kmph, Ernakulam 53.7 kmph, and Kasaragod 51.8 kmph during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. Neetha K. Gopal, IMD Director, Thiruvananthapuram, told The Hindu that this unusually high speed of wind has been observed since the onset of the monsoon on May 24. The speed and gustiness of the wind are higher than those normally observed during monsoon. The speed and depth of the wind influence the rain. It is not known what's driving the enhanced speed of the low-level jet, said Ms. Gopal. Global factors Though global factors such as ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are neutral, conditions akin to La Niña, a climate pattern characterised by unusually cold surface water temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, are prevailing, although temperature criteria technically do not allow it to be termed La Niña. Further, the atmospheric conditions are favourable for a wet spell over Kerala, she added. Local whirlwinds Along with this, the frequency and intensity of short-lived micro-scale whirlwinds reported in the State are also unusually high this time, causing widespread damage to properties. Whirlwinds normally seem to be local, with their causes also either regional or local. One of the main reasons for the development of localised whirlwinds is the climatic changes within the region, especially the decrease in monsoon rainfall and rise in temperature. The increased temperature in the absence of rain at one place may produce gustiness while raining, according to experts.
