How the global impacts the local
Reviewed by Ambika Sharma

Sustainability of rights after globalisation

Ed. Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury,
Ishita Dey
Sage. Pages 258. Rs 795

Rights form a crucial part of the civilised society where their sustainability, especially after globalisation, which presents both possibilities and challenges, has become an issue of concern. The book throws up pertinent questions like how equal is a commoner and how local hold over common property resources have transformed after privatisation and enactment of liberal laws. While the amended legislation has facilitated privatisation, the local communities have lost the only available source of sustenance, with land being reduced to a real estate commodity. Though the emergence of RTI, 2005, as a potent tool has helped to increase awareness by empowering the common man but it appears to have had little effect in the decision-making process.

An illustration of how rights of traditional communities have been intruded upon is aptly portrayed by the contentious issue of mining companies causing displacement of adivasis in the tribal area of Jharkhand. Intriguingly, the Ministry of Mines has carried out an amendment to the Fifth Schedule for the removal of prohibition and restrictions on the transfer of land to activities like mining. This covertly reflects the government's connivance in such anti-environment activities.

An irony has been drawn where the Environment Impact Assessment study for acquiring land more than 5 hectares has been reduced to a stage-managed show by bureaucrats and companies concerned and the affected people even fail to air their grievances . How people are denied their rightful due is further manifest in the gross violations of occupational health norms from Jadugoda-based uranium mines. While these are stark realities, where globalisation has denied the tribal population their legitimate rights issues. Also, the traditional communities being forced to abandon their dwelling due to pollution and fishermen facing a loss of livelihood are illustrations of how power equations are tilted in favour of the privileged.

The writers have minced no words to aver that in the garb of promoting liberal growth and promoting national interest, the UPA government has added to the perils of the rural population. While unemployment has been pegged as the biggest challenge in the country, with a population of 40 million waiting be employed, the series of legislations promoting privatisation and facilitating increased exploitation of natural resources, liberalising labour laws, etc., have helped further this objective.

Ranked 29th among 49 countries for its transparency, the enactment of Right to Information Act, 2005, is hailed as a right of rights in the new global scenario. Its assessment in its first five years of implementation has stressed on the need to make it effective by removing various limitations.

The migrant labour force, recognised as crucial forces in the economic development policy, has been at the receiving end with lack of enforcement of the legislation. Government effort to curtail migration by increasing rural employment appear to have yielded little results, with weak regulatory systems thus leading to denial of rights to the migrant labourers.

The creation of special economic zones, which have emerged as the latest tool to attract investment, have been described as tools used by the governments to intrude on the rights of the labourers, thus further adding to their exploitation. Since SEZs promise several exemptions in various acts, including the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, such relaxations have led to violation of the international human rights standards as these SEZs act like autonomous self ruled authorities.

The writers attempt to study the impact of globalisation and erosion of rights by citing various socio-economic studies. The impact of the RTI has thrown an interesting insight into how legislation has helped to promote the privileged. On the other hand, sustaining the rights for the lesser-advantaged ones is an issue of concern which requires awareness as it fails to appear on the agenda of successive governments.

HOME