Interpreting The Demonstration At Garmisch-Partenkirchen
By Vivek Kumar Srivastava
07 June, 2015
Countercurrents.org
The protest at the G7 meeting at mountain town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in South Germany has been peaceful but the minds of many are in the state of agitation. The demonstrators aimed to highlight the issues like globalization, climate change, poverty and inequality. The world in the recent time has moved in troubled zone as the adverse impacts of globalization have started to express. These range from inequality to exploitation of the environment for the narrow uses. The corporatization of food culture in India has come in to fore in the form of adulteration in Maggi noodles, which has altered the food habits of developing societies since the introduction of globalization , WTO of which is a living institution since 1995.
The demonstrators have raised the pertinent issues which the seven member group at present must address to. Russia has been excluded second year too due to the Ukraine problem. These seven countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the USA are leading economies. They have therefore major onus to deliver and direct the world but their actions tell another stories.
Environment is a precious commodity to human beings. It is cause of his existence. Sad truth is that developed countries have destroyed it for their advantages in the name of the good quality of life. Several countries are also following them. China and India are its examples. There are small changes but changes are there as for illustration in last few months many volcanoes have erupted including one at Galapagos, Ecuador. Many earthquakes have occurred. Even in India, the South West monsoon is late to Kerala, the first destination. Usually it used to touch the Kerala coast by 1st of June but this year it reached on the 5th of this month. These changes are noticeable and indicate that future of men is under dark clouds.
The adverse impacts of globalization are multiple. In many countries in the name of the fiscal prudence and privatization, funds have been cut even for the social service sector. India is no exception where even the government aid to IIT like institutions has been curtailed, affecting 8 new IITs more severely. Government has reduced amount to higher education to Rs 13,000 crore, as against Rs 16,900 crore for the plan allocation.
Inequality has increased. The growing cases of poverty in USA are now its testimony where leading institutions have come to agree that poverty alleviation in USA does not differ from poverty alleviation in India. Even the high school diploma pass people now face the problem of getting a job. Many countries including India are increasing the indirect taxes, reducing the government expenditure mainly on social sector thereby establishing the pro rich model with neo liberal agenda.
These are few illustrations. Many are hidden and many needs space for deliberation but the problem has become acute. G 7 needs to look at these developments.
There is also another issue of poverty. The demonstration shows that the whole world is under grate trouble. The poverty which is a crime has now knocked the rich countries. Leave aside already poor countries which have lived in the structural poverty since long but now the countries where the cyclic unemployment was observed are faced with this problem. USA has detoriated from what it used to be in the age of 1960s. Golden days in this respect are almost on decline. This has also created a great gulf in the field of income inequality. Therefore demonstrations are justified as these highlight the issue to the world leaders. The number of the demonstrators may not have crossed ten thousands but it made clarion call to all concerned that everything is not smooth at the global turf.
In this respect one glaring example needs to be added which relates to Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of UK who happily collaborated with USA in attacking the Iraq on the basis of logic that it had WMD, though proved wrong, was invited by World Hunger Forum to deliver a talk on the poverty reduction in Sweden for which he demanded £330,000 fee. His office although said due to prior commitment he declined. Truth is to be penetrated. Look the talk was on the poverty but demand was pure capitalist in nature.
Moreover what he would have said, is known. Even a simple Professor of developing economies would have spoken better. There are many to deliver lecture on this topic even from masters to Phd scholars would have lectured at par but Blair was invited. This shows the contradiction in the human thoughts. That amount likely to be given as was given last year to Bill Clinton would have served better to poverty stricken people. This is philosophy of G 7 where leaders discuss what is well known and it has become a relaxation resort for the politicians. Results are well known as they will discuss only for themselves and will not deal with the issues raised by the demonstrators but equally truthful fact is that people in the world are now more aware and civil society organizations are clubbing more. No doubt this has the potential to save the world. Let us wait for the G 7 discussions and look the world in realistic terms as the demonstration at the meet has pointed out.
Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava, presently Assistant Professor in CSJM Kanpur University[affiliated college],Vice Chairman CSSP, email: [email protected]
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