Globalization doing good to India: The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

I’ve just finished “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer prize-winning columnist of New York Times. It is one the most gripping non-fiction books I’ve read.

It begins with a very feel-good factor of showing how the developing world, mainly India and China are now playing a huge role in manufacturing, services and research and development of numerous multinational companies that were originally based only from USA. Then it talks about some companies sprouting up in India, Korea and Taiwan that are based in India and do creative work (not BPO) for US companies. Thus the feel-good factor in terms of the rising incomes, increasing middle-class and purchasing power, and mixing of cultures. The entire book is peppered with anecdotes of Friedman’s worldwide travels and encounters with leading businessmen making it a worthwhile read.

Globalisation is good because it is lifting millions out of poverty everyday by promising thousands of jobs for the educated in services and R&D, as well as the uneducated in manufacturing. But Friedman doesn’t forget it’s ill-effects of wiping away cultures and thereby creating fiction, as well as the abuses of modern technologies such as the internet by terrorist groups. He is however of the opinion that while globalisation, which is predominantly American, brings with it all the good and bad effects of Western culture, the intermixing is leading to the growth of a new generation rooted in their cultures and still benefiting from the civilizations around the world. Especially for India, he says that Indians have been of the outlook that “the Mughals come, the Mughals go, the British come, the British go” but we still eat our cuisine, wear our kurtas and sarees and speak our tongues and therefore are better poised to imbibe the necessary and important lessons from globalisation whereas still eschew its ill-effects such as total Americanization, high divorce rates and lack of respect for elders.

We can see all around us the blooming job-growth, the lavish spending as well as the general exuberance and self-confidence of the Indian youth today, all ensuing from globalization. But we still entertain its opponents such as the communists and certain other groups that unequivocally oppose MNCs and liberalization with shooting-one’s-own-feet middle-age ideologies. Imaging pre-globalized India, even the early to mid-90s when globalization just begun and graduates were still driving autos and most Indians were living without hope!

Friedman later advocates how countries such as India could equip themselves to lead in innovation and creative design by better education to the deprived classes thereby leading to MNCs headquartered in India. Although this may not be a long way away, India seems to have made an unpardonable mistake of forgetting its rural household which still accounts for the majority. There are still millions of Indians who live without electricity or clean water and who have never seen a television or the WWW. The BJP got punished for this exactly when the rural populace decided to throw her out of power, although I personally feel this is a big mistake because percolation of the fruits of globalization from urban to rural areas will inevitably consume time in terms of decades.

In the latter chapters Friedman discusses how globalization will lead to a lot fewer wars amongst globalized economies. For India especially this is very true because India can no longer afford a full-scale war with Pakistan without considering the uncontrollable erosion of all MNCs that have now settled in India and the ensuing loss of millions of jobs, regaining which will be a very difficult, uphill task. Therefore, as much as many Indians would like to snub Pakistan and end the ghastly terror and jihad activities emanating from it, it is to our own good that India not wage a major war but show restraint and maintain only minimal trade and diplomatic ties with Pakistan.

Thomas Friedman’s “The World is Flat” is thus an exhilarating read and I highly recommend you to get a copy. I agree with most of Friedman’s theses and arguments about globalization being good for India. Especially when Indians are now well-versed it using its technologies to take Indian culture abroad with Zee and Aastha TV channels, online pujas, Indian classical music available on eMusic.com, and numerous local-language websites.

I think the book should replace the current Economics textbook for XI standard students. What do you think?