Nepal entered into the phase of globalization after the restoration of democracy in 1990. However, it should not be understood that before 1990 the phenomenon called globalization was absent in Nepal. Nevertheless, it is true that Nepal as a state formally accepted liberalization as the guiding economic principle only after 1990. So, 1990 can be marked as the starting point of globalization in Nepal.
As anything, globalization also has its positive as well as negative aspects. And, with the exposure to globalization for more that two decades, it is high time now to determine or at least discuss whether globalization has been good or bad for Nepal. However, due to the presence of grey area (both good and bad aspect) in anything, it is very difficult to tag something as good or bad out right. In this scenario, listing and then evaluating, positive and negative impacts of globalization in Nepal, one against the other, can provide a way out. Thus, this paper tries to list the positive and negative impacts of globalization in Nepal.
The most important positive changes that globalization has brought about, particularly in Nepal and generally in Asia, are the concepts of good governance, popular participation, civil society, human rights, etc. In all, the positive impacts of globalization in Nepal can be summed together and called –liberal democracy. Still, it can’t be claimed that concept of democracy was never there in this part of the world, particularly in Indian subcontinent including China, because we have examples of Mithila Rajya of King Janak, Ayodhya of King Ram, etc. which are still considered the ideal form of state and democracy.
The positive sides of globalization get diminished when we analyze globalization in the presence of its negative sides.
A celebrated concept of globalization called ‘win-win effects’ is under scrutiny now; especially in the scenario when it has been found that the benefits of globalization to developing nations are extremely limited compared to developed countries. The problem of brain drain which is one of the prime reasons for Nepal’s slowed development is a case of unmatched benefits between developed and developing countries brought about by globalization. For example, USA being already a developed country with lot of opportunities is being able to attract a lot of Nepalese towards it but Nepal, due to not many opportunities, has been a quite spectator of the ‘one way flow’.
At present, globalization is also being termed as neo-colonialism, a new approach used by developed countries to colonize developing countries for exploitation. At worst, even the concept of democracy is criticized sometimes as a tool of hegemony used by powerful nation. Saudi Arabia is one of the examples which show that business is more important to the so called ‘civilized’ world than democracy. West, because of its need of fossil fuel has always turned a blind eye towards the rampant cases of human rights violation, women discrimination in Saudi Arabia.
Besides economic exploitation, globalization has also been criticized for ‘one way flow’ of everything which is destructing social, cultural, moral values of the East. If we look at the way Nepal dresses, eats, entertains at present; the ‘one way flow’ is quite evident.
So, as a phenomenon, globalization is also criticized as ‘free fox among free chicken’ phenomenon which is forcefully homogenizing/christianizing the whole world.