Globalisation a threat to cultural diversity

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The advent of globalisation has led to the disappearance of traditional knowledge systems in the East, said poet K Satchidanandan. He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on ‘Art and Literature in the Time of Globalisation’ organised as part of the CPM state conference here on Monday. “Several systems of knowledge and ideas travelled from the East to the West and later we, in a state of cultural amnesia, experienced a reverse flow of the same,” he said.“Globalisation is a threat to cultural diversity just like it ruins biodiversity. Its bad effects had spread to all sectors. Eco-fascism and cultural violence are other effects. A way out of the current situation is to achieve universality,” he said. “Tools of capitalism like the internet and the social media network should be used to fight it,” he said. Novelist M Mukundan said capitalism was a reality challenging our lives. “India has a lot to learn from the examples of China and France. While France failed to resist globalisation, China put up a brave face cashing in on the opportunities,” he said. “Globalisation is affecting our lives in all sectors though several times it goes unnoticed,” he said. “The fall of the joint family system was a big opportunity for manufacturers,” he said. In the era of globalisation, a writer ceases to exist and what remains is his image. Decades ago, people didn’t know the writer but had read his works. Today, everybody recognises a writer, thanks to the visual and print media. But how many of them have read his works is a disappointing question,” he said. Mukundan also called for a joint resistance against capitalism and globalisation by those in the fields of literature, culture and politics.         Writer KEN said that globalisation could do to freedom and equality what fascism couldn’t do over the years. “Globalisation led to disintegration in several fields. These disintegrated elements should be used to fight against it,” he said. P Valsala, R S Balamurali and B S Rajeev spoke at the function.