Topsy-turvy world

The world is becoming a very topsy-turvy place. For the last few decades, countries have been collaborating on technology and medical research. The Covid-19 vaccines were discovered in America. Then, they were produced in factories across the world, including in India.

Those vaccines rescued mankind. People and goods moved effortlessly between nations. Free thought, research and scholarship, broke the frontiers of knowledge and wisdom. Thus, we were reaping the benefits of globalisation... Now, every country is safeguarding its boundaries. People do not trust each other. We are becoming insulated nations. We could lose the fruits of globalisation and shared progress.

Various nations are negotiating tariff rates. Everyone knows, that higher tariffs will get passed to consumers. People across the world have been suffering from high inflation, after Covid-19 and the Ukraine war. Yet, it appears that tariffs will rise between countries. Prices will increase further. Common citizens, especially the salaried classes and the poor, will suffer.

The sales of many products have already declined in many Western countries, for fear of a recession. There is also panic-buying of everyday products like toilet paper and mineral water in some supermarkets. We need to think, what type of a world we are creating for future generations.

Rajendra Aneja,

By email