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Globalization lecture attracts many
by Ashley Martin
The Carillon
“Globalization and Democracy with Reference to India” was the subject of Dr S.K.G. Sundaram’s October 23rd lecture at Luther College.
Sundaram is a retired professor and Head of S.N.D.T. (Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey) Women’s University in Mumbai, India, and does occasional lectures for Luther College and the Department of Economics at the University of Regina.
The lecture attracted well over fifty students, professors and people of the general public.
In the last two decades, globalization has become more popular. According to Ashon Malik of India Today, globalization in an economic sense is the breaking down of national barriers to facilitate trade and commerce.
Globalization is the attempt at integrating individual economies into world economies, and is supposed to create economic wealth and strength.
As per Sundaram, globalization in India has had good points and bad points.
On an economic level, globalization has increased the growth of trade. However, internal trade continues to dominate. On a social level there has been improvement in human developments because of globalization. On a cultural level, stereotypes have been diminished. Men and women now have equal job opportunities. Labour aristocracy is disappearing. Religions are more tolerant and understanding. These are all positive aspects of globalization.
Globalization has had many negative results in India. Labour markets are almost destroyed, Trade Union Movement members are down and lockouts are more frequent. Industry growth is down and the old sector is suffering because new profit is found in computer- and communication-based jobs. Public sector employment has fallen and general conditions of employment are bad.
“Greed has taken place of need,” Sundaram says.
Sundaram predicts that in 2015 India will have the third largest economy in the world, behind China in first and the United States in second.
Overall, globalization has not affected Indian culture. ‘Coca-cola-ization’ has not been well received in India.
“Despite huge advertising budgets, Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola have barely made a dent in the Indian market,” Malik says
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