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Globalisation cannot be dismissed totally: Ekbal

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR DEC. 21. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kerala, B. Ekbal, has said that globalisation cannot be denounced blindly and that there must be efforts to tap its positive potentials.

Presenting the theme paper at a seminar on `Kerala yesterday, today and tomorrow', organised as part of the ongoing Kerala Social Forum (KSF), Dr. Ekbal said even though there were many evil sides to globalisation, it was also impregnated with the potentials for contributing to the badly needed `second socio-economic and cultural revolution in the State'.

He said this would, however, be possible only if the entire political parties of the State conceded to the fact that they were not at present equipped to lead the State into the 21st century and second socio-economic and cultural revolution, and then make earnest efforts to evolve such an agenda.

According to him, globalisation could be confronted through a three-point strategy of self-critical evaluation, fighting the evil consequences of globalisation and correct positioning of the State by recognising the State's strong and weak points to take advantage of the potentials of globalisation.

Emphasising the need for a serious introspection in Kerala society, Dr. Ekbal said the State as a whole had become a mediocre consumer society, which even failed to protect the consumer rights. Fake spirituality and fake progressivism often manifesting in the form extremist positions were now reigning in the State. This mediocrity had started eating the mainstream political forces as well, he said.

``There is no State in the country which has such an out-dated service sector as Kerala'', he said. Is there any State where people are being humiliated at the Government offices and hospitals as is the case in Kerala," he asked

``From my experience, I can say that the higher education in Kerala is probably the most inferior in quality. In fact, there is hardly any higher education in Kerala now. Can we lay the blame on globalisation which started about 10 years back for the degeneration of quality in higher education during the last 30 years?'' he asked.

``I can say that the problems faced by the University of Kerala during the last three years of my Vice-Chancellorship were not created by globalisation but by ourselves. We had to postpone our examinations 11 times this month. We are opposing the Modernisation in Government Programme (MGP). But can we say that there is no need for reformation of our public services. How long can we protect this degenerated public services in the State,'' he asked.

The CPI(M) leader, M.A. Baby, the CPI leader, V.V. Raghavan, and the Congress leader, Thalekkunnil Basheer, were among those who spoke on the occasion.

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