Shri K. M. Gopakumar, from Third World Network, delivered a lecture on ‘Global Justice’ at Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth (CVV) on 25th October 2019.
Shri Gopakumar spoke on the oligarchy of global politics, which often excludes the interests of people while accommodating the global elite. The lecture was based on the Indian perspective of policy space and how international treaties and soft laws have substantially reduced our sovereign autonomy to decide our trade policy. The lecture also threw light on the pharmaceutical sector, the information technology sector and the agricultural sector of the Indian economy, before and after liberalisation. The positive impact of early Indian investment and IPR policy on industrial development was also highlighted, reminding us of the loss of benefits a reduced policy space could bring.
He explained how international treaties and conventions that appear to be beneficial to us prima facie, ultimately affect our day to day life and mould our lives according to the wishes of the global elite. He inspired the LLM and Public Policy students of CVV to think about India, not only as a nation but also as a leader of the global south, which can contribute to the betterment of people’s lives with timely interventions in global policy discussion. Finally, how parts of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) relating to e-commerce and internet regulations might compromise Indian National Security was also discussed with the students.