A news article appeared in the first page of ‘Hindustan Times’ New Delhi edition on Monday, October 26, 2009. This article talked about the made-in-China globe flooding the Indian market. Nothing was unusual as it has become norm now of Chinese goods beating the hell out of Indian products in India’s own domestic market, I won’t dwell much into that. However, the particular point this article highlighted and that even made into a headline that the in the map of India, Kashmir was shown as separate region, with Aksai Chin under Chinese map. This ‘map’ fully violates India’s integrity and laws relating to maps.
The question here is not what Chinese are doing, democracy in China is well known (either way you take it), but what we are doing. Yes, our acts and action putting our own integrity into stake. These globes are imported into India, mark the word imported, that is it requires an importer. This importer has to have a valid permission (or license) to trade; the person invariably in most of the cases is an ‘Indian’.
“There are layers beneath layers here: Chinese companies that manufacture these misleading maps, importers who misrepresent what they are bringing in to evade customs duty, and shopkeepers who sell the items to make a quick buck” says one Indian official and this underlines the role of ‘Indians’ here. The Indian importer who ‘lies’ to the custom, masquerading globe as a lampshade, just for saving duty on the imported goods jeopardizing the integrity of the country.
This practice is not new, remember just few years back when India and China were beginning to talk trade, there was a flood of Chinese calculators selling Rs. 15 apiece, or were marked up at that price. The dawn of free trade with lesser barriers had dawned over the country, and imports were liberalized. Later, it was revealed that these stuff were not imported as a good, they were used as stuffing for some different product, or were marked up at a such a low price that incidence of the tax on that product becomes negligible; in short, they were smuggled.
Usually whenever a product is imported into the country, especially books and maps, they are usually stamped that ‘maps do not represent the political boundaries of India’, this is because most of the maps occupied territories within the jurisdiction of other countries. This is done, so that kids, who are actual targets of the map, do not get a wrong impression about the borders of the country. It is done so that they could appreciate problems faced by the country in a much better perspective, and not to claim, when they grow up, that this territory is in foreign country. This is why I kept using the words ‘integrity of the country.’
I won’t dwell in the minds that produce such maps. It is useless, as it is the only thing expected. But I must say that those dishonest importers, who for the profit, are selling something vicious, are as good are traitors and to be tried for treason.
Free trade is good. But the free trade must be within the boundaries of responsibilities. Free trade doesn’t means freer trade, where you arm your own enemy to attack you.
© Tarun Mitra
7 comments:
I think even the buyers are to be blamed to some extent. I have seen educated people buying the china mobiles, cheap and untraceable, just to save few bucks.
China has always been an enemy(be it silent enemy, working and fussing about any new weapon India declares). There are serious border issues too, be it north or easts.
But to be true gov needs to see this issue as serious, and for sake of God, do something.
Tarun, even Paul Krugman was talking about China a few days back in his New York Times (syndicated in the Hindu too) article. But his was more with an economic/political bent.
The stuff you point out is quite interesting because of the political
imprecations and corruption getting mixed with economics.
@ Megha, god has nothing to do with these, Government officials, bureaucrats and diplomats has to do a lot. At one point u can blame the consumer, but prices what China provides are really attractive. And they have build up efficiencies with ruthless determination. So What will u do if I am trying to sell you two identical pieces of a gift item one India made and another China. But Chinese one is much cheaper..u will certainly go for it, saving is in Indian culture can't really blame it.
@ Mridula, I can only guess what u have might read, the position of China in post recession period will be huge, given the fact that they own large quantities of US Treasury Bill. Yes It is a mixture corruption, dishonesty and war tactics..
PS: Can u provide me the link of the article if you have any
Easily I agree but I dream the collection should acquire more info then it has.
@ Anon....I don't know what to say...
I inclination not agree on it. I regard as precise post. Particularly the title-deed attracted me to review the intact story.
@ Anon....I am getting sick of Anon Comments and secondly I am not a great fan of 18th Century snobbish literature that u have used with glaring mistakes..still cannot make head and tail of what u have said..Happy New Year and have a great time ahead..
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