Compulsion of globalisation
Md. Aslam Parvez, Picnic Garden, 1st Lane, Kolkata - 700 039
This is in response to the article captioned 'Closer trade links with Pakistan' by Mr. ABMS Zahur, dated 25th May'05. It is nobody's case that the Partition of India on the basis of Two-Nation theory professed by Savarkar and Jinnah provided an extension to feudalism and its attributes. The mushrooming of regional and cast-based parties in India and the formation of Bangladesh were expressions of revolt against subjugation, however, the resultant freedom and the fruit of development were again cornered by a handful of people, leaving the vast majority in servility, thereby ensuring social unrest.A similar act was done ages ago to the Indian masses when Christianity and Islam were dangled in front of a stratified Hindu society. The humiliated lower caste people grabbed the opportunity that promised them equality and later found to their dismay that they were Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims and the Syeds asserted their brahminical supremacy in the Muslim hierarchy. In the present economy driven societies, the religious fundamentalism of different hues with similar texture of narrow-mindedness is bound to taper off and the expanse of land that defines wealth of individuals and nations appears to be losing its sheen in this climate of globalisation. This is not to say that we would not have to put up a strong resistance to the designs of fundamentalism and feudalism. We can exhibit indifference to the wind of change only at our own peril. The issue of Kashmir is being re-defined by the growing aspiration of economic freedom of its inhabitants and the leadership of Pakistan and India pounced upon the opening to soften the LoC and the rest would follow in due course of time to their satisfaction. Nationalism leads to ultra-nationalism and sub-nationalism and these are no less a menace than fundamentalism and feudalism. It is thus pertinent that nationalism should make way for rationalism and the orientation of governance should primarily be the financial well-being of the masses. It would be naïve on our part not to explore areas of mutual benefits and progress. Though a European model of federation is a far-fetched idea in the given scenario, we can at least establish a reasonable mobility of man and material across South Asian nations and beyond for economic growth. It could be a juvenile act to exhibit anger by refusing food, but not of matured nations. Lastly, but not the least, our economic pursuit should accept the dignity of labour. When we teach our children to wish their teachers, we should also teach them to wish gatekeepers and sweepers of their schools, so that the neo-casteism based on professions and earnings is not allowed to flourish and humiliate those who perform less important jobs for honest living. Humiliation of a section of people would also impede the confident Walk of a nation into a global village.
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