The National Seminar on ‘Globalisation, Urbanisation and
Migration’ witnessed the presentation of more 75 scientific papers examining the
phenomenon from a holistic perspective on the concluding day today on the Panjab
University (PU) campus.  
    
    Presentations looked into the influences of urbanization with respect to
nutritional status and human body composition of various tribal and non tribal rural
and urban communities in various parts of India. It is estimated that more than 61% of
the population will live in cities by 2025, taxing the already overburdened civic and
health facilities. The presentation looked into the issues of globalisation of
lifestyles being witnessed in many facets of life like foods, occupations and altered
lifestyles which are impacting health, child development and nutrition, resulting in
the rise of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

    Rapid urbanisation and the globalised influences that advocate a consumerist
culture are resulting in increasing migration to existing urban centers resulting in
the growth slums manifest in many social problems. Rural cultures are under threat of
being replaced by such life ways that are alien to indigenous communities. Increased
capital flow to rural self help groups while bringing economic benefit to some also
results in disparities due to selective benefits and inadequate capacity to utilize
these resource inputs.

    Increasing industrialisation and movement of the work force from traditional
occupations to newer ones are being manifested in muscular skeletal disorders,
diseases and many genetic maladies that did not exist in these indigenous communities
hitherto. The scientists gathered on the occasion not only focused on ways to map the
effects on health of rural and urban populations alike but also advocated fundamental
changes that needed to be made to maximize the well being of populations.

    Globalisation is here to stay, however, there is a crying need to strengthen
facilities of health and economic well being besides income augmentation in rural area
so that migrations to over crowded urban complexes are reduced.  Professor A. S.
Ahluwalia, Dean Science Faculty, Panjab University in his presidential remarks at the
valedictory function observed that globalizing influences and traditional perspectives
could coexist. He said that policy development needs to consider issues from a wider
social and cultural perspective to ensure the well being of all.

    Professor K.D. Sharma, anthropology department chairperson expressed the hope
that the seminar would be an important forerunner to many others that would look at
the phenomenon in greater detail. Anthropologists need to document the ethnographies
of the numerous communities that form the people of India before they are subsumed in
the vast ocean of globalisation. “There is a need, both within health care education
and in policy development, to consider issues from individual as well as wider social
and cultural perspectives and to address disparities in power as part of a broader
understanding of bioethics”, he said.

     Professor A.K. Sinha the organizing secretary of this seminar observed that a
closer examination of indigenous practices especially with respect to health care
needs to be made so that vast numbers of the rural population continue to take
recourse to such facilities that are culturally congruent to them. He thanked the
University authorities, sponsoring agencies delegates, members of the host department
and the fraternity of the media for making this seminar a success.