Globalization

Globalization has been lauded, bashed, lauded again, and bashed again ad infinitum. Countless debates have been undertaken over farm subsidies, over offshoring of jobs, over extensive growth in the developing nations like India, China, textile market crash, more job loss etc etc etc. Yet, as we indulge ever more on this extremely sensitive topic, let us stop, for one moment albeit, and take the sight that I took in today.

I work at Capgemini India, in a cozy little cubicle in the 2nd Mumbai office. Being new, I have a few responsibilities, but I feel I have been burdened like Atlas himself, holding aloft the sky. Mundane jobs like data entry is as cumbersome as licking ones own elbow. But, have settled in, and enjoying every moment of it.

Capgemini has a celebration every year, aptly named "Jashn", from the Hindi word for celebration. Furious preparations are on, especially so for the dance competition. I should think all the other events shall pale in comparison to this event. The anticipation surrounding is so intense, its almost palpable.

I was witness, amongst a plethora of others, to the practice to this event. We had almost 50 men and women, in all shapes and sizes, of all ages, of all departments, of all backgrounds, gracing the "stage". Furious Punjabi music blared in the background with those dancers gyrating equally furiously. A few, the ones dimensionally challenged like me, huffed and puffed their steps, but were the receptionists of rapturous response. The only ubiquitous thing seemed to be the smile. But the thing that caught my fancy was a lone woman at the corner, and a couple of others accompanied by a third man, at yet another corner. The former was clicking away on her digital camera, with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. The latter two were busy remarking the costs that accompanied staging such an event.

One of them, a genial lady, the one who lights up the area near my cubicle with her infectious laugh, is our client. As are the rest of them. I realized then that the camera the shutterbug was wielding was not the one in her hand. It was the one in her mind. The images that shall shall always treasure. She had taken with her a glimpse of the lovely land that India is. She had with her, a tiny piece of the delicious cake that Mumbai is. She had an insight into the mind of an India, something that was so completely shrouded by both geographical and economic curtains. And most importantly, they too, had a smile on their faces.

For one second, I had forgotten that I was possibly occupying the seat of some American whose job had been shipped here. I had been part of an organization that made many many others smile. I dont know if globalization is "cool" or not, but it seemed worthy for that one second.