Jyoti Sidana
The rapid growth in the process of neo-liberalism and globalization all over the world in the last few decades has affected human life and every area of the world. Market, economy, information, education, politics, family, marriage system, medicine, health, entertainment, religion and media are not areas where their impact cannot be seen. The era of neo-liberalism has turned human society into a market, where goods and services to social relations can also be bought and sold. On the other hand, aspects like economic development, employment generation, social security, environment, social justice, constitutional values are passing through crisis.
The sociologist Ulrich Back, while discussing the concept of risk society, said that post-modern society has created risks for itself and that modern society has given rise to a pessimistic view of developmental thought. While modern society developed many values and benefits in the interest of society, although these benefits were unequally distributed, postmodern society has created and developed many risks, which pose a comparatively great crisis.
Recently the Global Risk Report 2022 was released by the World Economic Forum. The report presents risks in five categories namely economic, environmental, geopolitical, social and technological. According to the report, social and environmental risks have increased the most since the start of the COVID epidemic. Loss of social cohesion, livelihood crisis and declining mental health are the three major risks the world sees as the biggest threat over the next two years. Also significant are risks such as debt crisis, cyber security failure, digital inequality and backlash against science.
This pandemic has created a situation of economic stagnation all over the world. Local Markets Global and world markets are taking a local form. All the markets of the world have reached our homes through mobiles and computers. Necessity has now taken the form of greed, because whether need or not, the market has forced you to buy everything. New information technology has created a virtual world around humans, where they are completely cut off from reality.
It seems that society is no longer made of social relations, but of goods and resources. It cannot be denied that human needs can be met, but greed cannot. And because of this greed, man did not even know when he had taken many risks for himself.
While technological development has simplified human labor, it has promoted inequality among people, has increased unemployment, has also created many dangers in front of the environment, due to which the very existence of human beings has been threatened. Many sociologists like Anthony Giddens, Ulrich Beck, Jurgen Habermas have considered industrialism, modern capitalism and consumerism as important causes of environmental degradation, hence they call modern society as risk society.
The present society is surrounded by many risks, yet instead of democratic discussion and discussion on these risks or dangers, some people are busy only worrying about their profit. It is true that in order to prevent further damage to the environment, uncontrolled scientific and technological development has to be stopped. Too much dependence on modern technology has put an end to the very nature of life.
With the development of science and technology, the capitalists and industrialists are only expanding the markets so that they can earn more and more profit. Today, if the dangers that are emerging in front of every age group, especially the future generation, on a global scale, if they are not considered even now, then it cannot be imagined that towards what risks we are pushing our future generation. Huh.
As also mentioned in this risk report, human health (physical and mental), education, environment, employment, social unity and harmony are all facing crises in this hyper-capitalist society. Those who will be able to cope with these crises, although their numbers are very few, may even save their existence, but what about the rest of the population. In this race of materialism and consumerism, man should not be so blind that he does not see the danger coming towards him.
Today’s man is doing a lot in his life, just forgot to live life. Pointing to a similar crisis, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan argues that children need to be brought to school early, or else we will have a less understanding generation. He said, poor children do not have online tools, the quality of their studies can be imagined. If children stay away from school for a year and a half, let’s say they lag behind by three years.
This single crisis is so risky which can make the future of the country unsafe, then what other crisis can create in front of the country and society, it is a matter of thinking. If we talk only about our country, India ranks seventy one in global food security, one hundred and one in global hunger index, one hundred and forty in gender inequality index, one hundred thirty one in human development index, one hundred thirty five in global peace index and It is ranked one hundred and eleventh in the Human Freedom Index.
Probably all these are the reasons why India is ranked one hundred and thirty nine on the happiness index. Because happiness comes only when the needs of the person are fulfilled and he feels satisfaction towards his life. But in today’s era, when most of the population is facing hunger, poverty, inequality, unemployment, mental and physical health, inequality, then how can happiness or prosperity be even imagined.
Amartya Sen argues that inequality cannot end in any society without discussion. If we accept this argument of Amartya Sen, then it is necessary that every issue of society and country whether political, economic, social, cultural, educational, constitutional or religious should have a comprehensive debate or say that a logical debate is necessary. Today, ethical, unbiased and rational debate is a victim of neglect, possibly threatening not only the heritage of diversity of society, but also many unforeseen dangers.
This is such a period of uncertainty where people are worried about the future as well as the present. In this direction, the scientists, the intelligentsia, the state and the administration will have to take concrete steps and make such a strategy that people can be taken out of the environment of fear and insecurity. It cannot be denied that when citizens feel fear and insecurity in the society, how can they participate in development.
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