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In what ways is Privatisation affecting human sustainability? Express your views.
It may sound harsh to some ears but the fact of the matter is that privatisation and profiteering are the two sides of the same coin. It is quite ironic and disquieting that the advocates of ‘liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation’ are more concerned about ‘economic sustainability’ in the midst of global meltdown than about human sustainability. If some right thinking people are agitated over the possible dangers in the form of global warming, polluted rivers, excessive emission of carbon dioxide into the environment, it is time to sit back and introspect.
Along with a few islands of prosperity represented by multiplexes, malls, skyscrapers, and the like, the issues of under-nourishment of millions across the board and resource-depletion are some of the rigorous realities that pose serious problems. We have come to such a precarious pass of rapid economic development versus hunger malnutrition, rich-poor divide and so on as a result of our over-enthusiasm and over confidence on the so-called visible successes of privatisation.
The resilience and sustainability of the capitalistic economic development based on market-led forces is already facing a serious global recess, as a consequence of which millions of jobs are going to be lost across the world. This dismal scenario may further add to the already prevalent high degree of diversity and economic development process of the Asian societies, which requires revamping of the policy processes to enhance the economic prosperity and overcome severe constraints in the light of increasing threats of food security and environmental crisis.
Despite the highly publicised and propagated claims of privatisation having provided enough leverage to enterprising and innovative entrepreneurs, even now nearly one-fourth of world population has no access to safe drinking water. There has been a serious threat to agricultural land, air, water, forests and marine resources that form the basic inputs and resources than can thwart the positive effects
of privatisation, adversely affecting human sustainability.
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