Economic Nationalism The Way To Fight All Shades Of The Wuhan Virus
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants all 1.3 billion Indians to be “vocal for local” — meaning, to not just use domestically made products but also to promote them. Andy Bhai an overseas citizen living in Hong Kong does not like this kind of thing, one bit.
He has been crying hoarse and shouting loudly at the top of his voice, to impress Xi Jinping. Andy Babu has been very vocally demanding Indian mangoes on every trip to the grocery. But half the summer is gone, and not a single slice so far. Must be a sheer torture for an Indian ex Bengal, but Xi Jinping is not helping him out.
Andy Bhai is angry because of this loss of his, all due to India’s lockdown because of Wuhan Virus. Though he knows that he dare not shout at Xi Shinping for spreading this virus in the first place because Chinese may then feed him with their own mangoes and in their own manner.
He instead is shouting at Modi for daring to order a lockdown and thus saving India. He is angry because the lock down has severely pinched the international export logistics, thus depriving him of his mangoes in Hong Kong.
Andy Dada feels that logistics is a perennial challenge in the huge, infrastructure-starved country called India. He is angry that instead of fixing the logistics, India has politically responded in a manner which will ultimately result in reducing Chinese exports to India. By doing this India will get isolated, feels Andy, and the net result will be that NO MANGOES for Andy Dada.
Now Andy knows that like Xinping, even Modi can get angry and terminate his Overseas Citizenship. So he cleverly lurches sideways and quickly attacks the Indian business community instead of attacking Modi directly. The same community which is giving the Chinese a run for their money.
He attacks by stating that the pace and direction of economic nationalism may be set by domestic business interests. Andy now yearns for the Indian liberals, many of whom are Western-trained academics, authors and — at least until a few years ago — policy makers, want a more competitive economy.
They will be powerless to prevent the slide feels Andy ……Andy bhai, four rossogullas for you ….please clarify whose slide ….Chinese manufacturing slide into South China Sea or is it Natun Sea ?
Narendra Modi’s call for a self-reliant India has been echoed by Shri Rajnath Singh the Defence Minister, Home Minister Amit Shah and every Indian worth his salt. Indians must give preference to Indian made goods and unless essential, they must avoid buying foreign-made goods.
This is no strategy but pure common sense. This must especially apply to Chinese goods because, China has forcefully occupied a chunk of Indian territory in Ladhak called Aksai Chin. It has also built a road through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, in spite of our protests.
And now finally it has once again intruded further into Indian territory in Ladhak leading to a military standoff. Also all these years it has been dumping its shoddy goods on the Indians.
Beijing has suddenly seen that India instead of backing off has stood firmly and now it is the turn of the Chinese to baulk. It’s very expensive to fight even a limited war in Ladhak. With the Chinese logistics tail ex China and through starved and occupied Tibet and finally into Ladhak will become a big chain around the dragons neck.
Economic boycotts, such as Indian rejection of British goods during the Freedom Movement had nearly forced the Empire to its knees. In present times, it’s not even necessary to name an enemy.
An undercurrent of popular International anger against China for both being the source of the Wuhan Virus and Indian anger for capturing of Aksai Chin, will do the trick on its own.Though Andy Babu will once again be deprived of his mangoes.
Though free-trade champions had fretted earlier with respect to India, now countries like Australia and Japan are acknowledging the Prime Minister Modi’s ability to see far into the future. India has declined to join the world’s biggest trading block dominated by China in South East Asia. Now all members if ASEAN are having second thought on partnering with China.
For the Chinese the tension with USA over trade, intellectual property, Wuhan Virus responsibility and Hong Kong’s autonomy became too much. Exodus of manufacturing hubs of foreign countries from China to India and other countries leading to drop in domestic economy, gave the perfect reason to the Chinese government to create trouble at the Indo Tibetan border.
Now the Chinese mouth pieces are trying to accuse Indian Big business of retching up economic nationalism. Chinese are terrified that such actions by Indians will nullify the edge being enjoyed by them till now ; Most of the Western Companies vacating China will do joint ventures with Indian companies and Indian business will be in a better position to tap overseas capital markets.
Chinese are red and blue with anger because India has already thrown a security umbrella by placing restrictions on investment from any country that shares a land border with India.
The Chinese Communists are also worried that India will further tighten its economic policies to favour India.
They also think that India will tighten the the regulatory environment and thus making it tougher for U.S.-listed Chinese companies like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to operate in India.
All the above are but natural actions to promote the National interest of India. This how Chinese had started creating Shenzhen-style enclaves of manufacturing and trade.
Though if some other country tries it then the Chinese are just not liking it.
So their think tanks have started approaching such over seas “ Citizens “ of India like Andy Dada who is furious because he has not been able to get his “ Langra “ mangoes from India !
Just imagine, because of mangoes, likes of Andy dada have started talking that big manufacturing hubs will only ensure Concentration of economic power in fewer hands. They’re now moved by the suffering of India’s low-wage workers, who have borne the brunt of the Wuhan shutdown but survived. Imagine Chinese talking of a more just society and fairer income distribution but at the same time criticizing Universal Basic Income.
Modi’s vocal-for-local has not only stir the pot but gotten the Chinese goat too. The conscious Indian consumer will fully support the calls to buy Indian and thus prevent the Chinese or any such others from exploiting India.
A major fall out will be that Andy babu will not be able to get his mangoes. Instead of exporting it to Hong Kong, it will be the Indian Consumers who will be savouring it.
