Date:22/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/22/stories/2006052206900400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Globalisation: MLA highlights State's role

Special Correspondent

The success largely depends on the role the Government plays: Krishna Byre Gowda

Bangalore: Congress MLA for Vemagal Krishna Byre Gowda has said that the State Government should play a proactive role if the benefits of globalisation are to percolate to the rural people.

In a paper, which he presented at the four-day programme on "Where is globalisation heading?" organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the State legislature recently, he said that it was improper to counter or checkmate globalisation.

It had no doubt resulted in several distinct disadvantages to the local population, particularly in a country like India where agriculture continued to be the mainstay.

Globalisation per se was not disastrous and the success largely depended on the role that the Government played.

Of the large number of national and international delegates who attended the programme, four legislators from Karnataka were invitees and also active participants. They were Mahima Patel, Prakash Rathod and Shobha Karandlaje besides Mr. Byre Gowda.

The U.S. educated MLA said the role of the State in the process of globalisation was very crucial since it involved new challenges apart from providing a range of opportunities.

"It is the responsibility of the State to draw maximum benefits from the global opportunities and simultaneously minimise the threats involved in globalisation."

Given the local conditions, he said, it was the duty of the State to identify the potential areas of global opportunities.

"We hear every day that many communities are marginalised following globalisation and that sectors like agriculture have little, if any, to gain from globalisation."

Mr. Byre Gowda said globalisation had provided many opportunities to the agricultural sector, particular horticulture and floriculture.

For instance, Kolar, Bagalkot and Bijapur districts were predominantly horticulture intensive and yet the farmers were still to reap the benefit.

As in the case of the local agricultural markets wherein farmers were deprived of a reasonable price, it was a similar scene even in the export markets where "middlemen" reaped the benefits at the cost of the farmers. How could a farmer who found it difficult to reach the local market find his way to an international market.