Globalisation emerging as threat to local cultures; climate change leading to ecological imbalance: CJI NV Ramana

Global culture is emerging as a threat to local cultural symbols and identities and while globalisation has ushered in a lot of changes, it has led to blurring of our rich identities, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana said on Friday.

The social-media, television and pop-culture glamourize a particular way of life and sadly we are blindly aping the same, he lamented.

"The global culture is emerging as a threat to local cultural symbols and identities....Instead of celebrating our distinct heritage and culture, we are allowing our rich identities to be blurred. The present generation is in flux. It is gradually losing link to the past and thereby losing the sight of the purpose and path to future. While I acknowledge the necessity and the positive changes ushered in by globalization and development of science and technology, I urge you to think its micro impact in our daily lives," he said.

In this regard, he also highlighted how languages are disappearing.

"According to the 2021 UNESCO World Report of Languages, half of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken in the world today could disappear by the end of the century. With loss of each language, we are not only losing considerable literature and folklore, but also losing wisdom inherited through generations," he said.

The CJI was delivering the convocation address at the 82nd convocation of Osmania University in Hyderabad.

At the event, the university conferred on CJI Ramana the Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) degree in the presence of Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan.

In his speech, the CJI also highlighted how globalisation was impacting genetic diversity and crop varieties.

"We are witnessing the rapid loss of crop varieties, wild species and indigenous livestock. Additionally the market is driven by demands of the global economy. As a result more and more farmers are moving beyond indigenous crops for short term gains. This change in cropping pattern is altering the character of soil thereby reducing its capacity to support bio diversity," he said.

Coupled with climate change and environment pollution, it is leading to huge ecological imbalance, he opined.

"Climate change and environmental pollution are also affecting the wild varieties. Put together, a huge ecological imbalance is staring at us," the CJI stated.

The present generation is, therefore, facing the unique challenge of finding solutions to these pressing concerns, the CJI added.

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