Booming Sensex of no relevance to poor: Tharoor

NEW DELHI: Well-known author Shashi Tharoor, who was in the race for top UN post, on Wednesday said buoyancy in the stock markets and robust economic growth have not touched the lives of poor in India.

"The day Sensex touched 20,000, multiple thousands were marching on Delhi roads for land reforms," Tharoor said.

Addressing a session on 'Globalisation - Winners and Losers' at the Fortune Global Forum here, Tharoor cautioned that globalisation has not been effective in tackling issues of poverty.

"Poverty issues in India are about what globalization does not touch," he said.

On the issue of changing attitude of developed countries towards globalisation, Tharoor said, the goal posts were often shifted.

He referred to recent protectionist voices raised in the developed world against outsourcing of services and manufacturing to the developing world.

The same attitude is being shown in the Doha Round of WTO for opening global trade where rich nations are becoming protectionist about their economies while seeking to put higher obligations on the developing world.