South Asian Voice: an E-zine for India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar

January 1999 Edition

VIEWPOINTS ON THE NET

From time to time, India's major dailies publish authors who provide thoughtful and illuminating insights that we would like to share with our readers. Here we provide a set of annotated links to some articles we feel are worth reading.

The Asian Economic Crisis

Although the E. Asian economic crisis no longer excites the media attention it drew in the summer, some Indian analysts believe that the crisis is not over, and India would do well to draw appropriate lessons from the impact it has had on unemployment, poverty levels and shrinking investments.

Here is a report on the drop in demand for cars all over E. Asia:-

Demand Shrinking for New Cars

A triumph of propaganda over facts?

In an opinion piece in the Hindu, Prem Shankar Jha writes: "If you take a straw poll of opinions on the East Asian crisis, nine out of 10 people will tell you that the worst is over......... If they now restructure' their bad debts, foreign capital will start flowing in again and growth will turn positive in 1999 itself. All will be well in as little as two years. This happy-happy prediction reflects a triumph of propaganda over fact".

Read the whole article in the Hindu:-

A triumph of propaganda over facts?

INDIA and Globalization

And here is an article that assesses the continuing fallout from "globalization"

" Today, the global economy is in recession. Predator nations are anxious to create exclusive monopolies in victim nations. India is a victim nation. In surrendering to demands for such
monopolies, India - led by the BJP's further capitulation - seems prepared to sacrifice even the basic public interest protection." Rajeev Dhawan writes in the HINDU

A monopoly for foreigners now

Links to other articles (from our previous editions)