Fate of Urbanization in developing countries

Fate of Urbanization in developing countries
The private sector is growing at enormous pace in the developing countries in the Asian region. How this will transform the governance in a democratic setup like India is worth a prophecy no more imagination. With the recent uproar on SEZ’s and sanction of one such SEZ of New Mumbai to Reliance, we have already stepped into such a change where the local governance will be owned by the private agencies replacing the municipal corporations, water/electricity supply, RTO and so on. Whether the entire city will be governed by Reliance Police, Reliance Power and Reliance education is no surprise. Then what would be the social impact of such a change, where more cities will be hosted by the private agencies ?, the early signatures of which have been already in the scene.   The systematic approach (/control) of private companies like Reliance is appreciable for example by owing the Petrol Pump, and sell the petrol from their own refineries and own oil fields. There is nothing wrong in such private governance as far as efficiency is concerned. Today’s industry is starving on the concept of multispeciality, diversification and outsourcing integrations. The extremely specialized sectors have shown a very large flexibility in such a race. For example the Kingfisher once known for alcoholic beverage now also runs an airline. The ITC once manufacturing tobacco products now produces food items, stationary as well as greeting cards. The example of reliance is already there which started with textiles, now entered into oil, retail and food sector selling vegetable.   What is really concerned at this stage is how the social equality and liberty is going to be affected. And whether we need to bother for that?. Although Indian economy is growing at a faster pace how does it is in tune with removing poverty from a particular class. Whether we are going to remain the same conglomeration of poor and reach, backward and forward? Can we build up a uniform social and racial structure?   Whether, the industries like Reliance are going to buy the non-productive areas, backward populations and slums. Definitely not!. Then all the backward and non productive sectors will be left with the government. Whether the government will merely remain a tax collecting agency and how far it will continue to do so. The rule making, defence and judiciary are fundamental tools of a nation, then who is going to rule? Whether a private sector, or SEBI or government as usual. Then how this privatization is going to affect these agencies, as the privatisation is inevitable. We are thus passing through a fragile stage where a right direction has to be thought by the government to avoid the wrong course of this change.   A vision with rational thinking, futuristic outlook and environmental friendly growth of the nation is urgent; else we may end up with complications in future. Can the increasing politicization of the government (even the President of India is now going to be from party background) is contradictory to the social change ?.   As the industries are market sensitive, due to fall of market or long lasting changes in the market trend some incidence may happen when a particular industry may become bankrupt that will affect a large community without the concern of market. What would happen in the case of natural disaster like tsunami? The industry will find it difficult to pay the salaries of employees especially in the local governance. The government may not have funds to take over either the situation or the system. Some other industry may or may not takeover. And if at all it does, then it will mould the governance of that city on its own condition hampering the stability of common man in such a society. There are numerous questions to be discussed and one such is education. Whether the low cost good education will be available by such privatization to build a strong nation with uniform society? …..S. J. Sangode