Globalisation, ‘Glocalisation’ And South Asian Insecurity

Supra-national integration and sub-national disintegration are the two mutually reinforcing constituents of the post cold war global transformation. In addition, a new category of linkages—global to local, and local-to-local across the globe—are materially altering the global reality. The consequent restructuring of the global architecture of power and authority going on since 1990s is conceptualised as “glocalisation.” Liberalisation, privatisation, and the globalisation (especially as championed by the US), did bring in measurable growth. However, it had also led to a deepening of the extant rich-poor divide in India (and South Asia). The retreat of the welfare state, ethnic upsurge at the expense of national identities, international terrorism, pervasive corruption, etc. added to the endemic insecurity (personal and national) in the region as a whole. In the process, the Government of India (and the other Governments in the region) has become “too big” and too distant in the eyes of the people and at the same time “too small” in dealing with the external world, especially the lone Super Power.