Hosabale Critiques E-Commerce: A Threat to Social Bonds?

Dattatreya Hosabale, RSS general secretary, criticized e-commerce and market-driven lifestyles for eroding social bonds and human relationships. He highlighted the loss of trust and connectedness inherent in traditional marketplaces, urging a focus on value-driven education and sustainable development respecting nature, and praised Bhutan's Gross National Happiness model.

Dattatreya Hosabale, general secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), voiced concerns about the impact of e-commerce and market-driven lifestyles on social bonds. Speaking at a book discussion, Hosabale argued that these modern conveniences erode the trust and connection that traditional marketplaces fostered.

Hosabale emphasized the loss of community ties, recalling how, in traditional settings, personal relationships with tradespeople were deeply rooted in trust and mutual understanding. The faceless nature of e-commerce, he warned, replaces these crucial human connections with mere transactions.

He also underscored the need for education systems to impart values and nurture societal cohesion rather than just disseminate information. Highlighting a holistic approach to development, Hosabale commended Bhutan's Gross National Happiness model and called for integrating respect for nature into progress tactics.

(With inputs from agencies.)