Hindustan Times
A Happy Chinese Diwali!
“See!” my sister said, with a good deal of satisfaction that she had proved her point. “That is why I have been telling you for months that Raj Thackeray is right when he says locals should have first priority at jobs in their own home states. What is your reaction all about now if not a little leaf out of Raj Thackeray’s book?”
I had been reacting with horror to reports over Diwali that Chinese workers were coming to India in hordes on business visas and that the Indian government was beginning to crack down on them. “Why should we now import Chinese labour!!!” I had screamed. “What will happen to our own workers if they come as cheap as their goods!”
Of course, I was a little sheepish when my sister made out a case for Raj Thackeray. But, as I told her then, its not the same thing – Indians have a right to go anywhere within their country if they wish. But why should we have to put up with more of this Chinese nonsense?
Made in China Ganpatis with the trunk turning to the wrong side.
However, the fact that that passing item on one of the news channels caught my attention at all was because of the big struggle I have over my lights and lanterns and images of Gods and Goddesses every Diwali. I split Diwali each year between my own home in Bombay and my mother’s in Nagpur. And as I am usually very busy at the time, I depend on my maid to do my Diwali shopping for me – mostly the lights and lanterns and the colours for rangoli.
Thankfully, the colours are still Indian but I have been increasingly annoyed over the years that my maid has been bringing me lanterns with dragons and Chinese damsels painted on them – that somehow feels a betrayal of Goddess Laxmi. Moreover, last year they shorted and blew my fuse. So this year, despite the fact that I was busy with the Maharashtra elections, I decided to take the time off and visit the crowded Diwali markets myself.
I discovered that my maid was not wrong when she said that there was nothing better on sale than those Chinese lanterns. No matter which part of Bombay I went to, the Diwali markets were flooded with Chinese goods and I just could not get a lantern that did not say, ‘Made in China’. So I decided to pick up a paper-and-cardboard star this Diwali that was most certainly made in India – by little girls in a bylane of Dadar in central Bombay, in fact. And so relieved was I at having got something Indian that I did not even care that parents had put little children to work to make a killing at Diwali – I decided I would rather that my money went to Indian children than Chinese prisoners who work almost for free and help China sell their goods so cheap.
But, then, when it came to the twinkling lights there was no way out – absolutely everything was Chinese. And though they came in pretty shapes like cherry blossoms, roses, plums with leaves and butterflies, they were all so fragile that they had to be handled with more than just care.
After scouring the Diwali markets, I thought I might find some Indian lights at my own electrician’s. But no such luck. “You will get nothing but Chinese these days, Madam,” he told me. “This is not like olden times when you could buy these lights today and hope to use them for the next five years without trouble. If these last you beyond this Diwali, you should consider yourself lucky that you could get more service out of them at the next. The third year, you will most certainly have to come back for a fresh series.”
Under the circumstances, I had to return to him thrice in the space of two days for the lights went kaput even as I was hanging them up – either the wires came out or the tiny bulbs just fused out. Neither I nor he could fix them again and I finally got them up on the fourth try after handling them like cream and butter.
“At least they were only sixty rupees each (for a six-metre length),” he said. “What more do you expect out of something that comes so cheap?” he asked.
“I would not mind paying even 600 rupees for them if they last me at least five to six years,” I said.
“Woh zamana gaya, Madam,” he said sagely. “Get used to a largely Chinese Diwali. In dinon Bhagwan bhi Cheen se hi aate hain!”
I knew what he meant but I still threw him a questioning look.
He pointed to images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi – very colourful ones and ‘washable’ as he said – various points lit up and ‘Made in China’ labels at the bottom. “They sell like hot cakes during Diwali,” he said, adding that sometimes the Chinese get it wrong, like placing Lord Ganesha’s trunk towards the right when it should really turn to the left. “We then have to return those batches because no one wants them. But by and large these are fast-moving items.”
I decided to stick to my home-grown and Indian-made brass Laxmi and Ganesha. And I have finally discovered a shop that sells some very delicate looking but very sturdy and lit-up (though not twinkling) dragon flies — at Rs 900 for five-and-a-half metres. The sales man assured me they will light up my Diwali for at least five years. And what’s more — they are made in India!
(6 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Sujata Anandan on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Filed under India · Tagged Bombay, Chinese damsels, Chinese workers, Diwali, hindustan times, Raj Thackeray
Jai Bharat!
[Reply]
Sujata Anandan Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Well, Hindi-Cheeni are certainly not bhai-bhai any more, Bunny! And it kills me to go Chinese on Diwali but short of setting up manufacturing units myself, I don’t know what to do about it!
[Reply]
Kushal Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
This year, we used terracotta diyas and cotton wicks and mustard oil… all Indian-made. I think.
It was rather lovely.
[Reply]
Sujata Anandan Reply:
October 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Yes, a traditional Diwali is so lovely. We used terra cota, too. Though the oil was til
I am surprised that no one has reacted to this so far!!
We have had political debates galore on Indo China relations, but not a peep when it comes to fundamental issues like paying another country to celebrate your own cultural traditions!!
I had mentioned on Yashpal’s blog sometime ago that we need to so a series of well researched articles on how the Chinese are slowly creeping into our lives. This is one clear example, and there are many many more.
One wonders why India refuses to get out of this slumber. Convienence? Or just plain lethargy?
[Reply]
Sujata Anandan Reply:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I think it is a bit of both. And by the time we wake up we will be fully invaded by the Chinese, in a different way. Though I am happy to see our government taking them on politically by telling them off over Arunachal Pradesh and the Dalai Lama — the Chinese did back off!
[Reply]
For the last 3-4 years I’ve been screaming from the rooftops abt the cheap Chinese shit that’s flooding our markets. I carefully check EVERYTHING I buy for Made in China labels - am certainly not letting China take money from me. Not when they’re acting so greedy about our land!
[Reply]
Sujata Anandan Reply:
October 30th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
I do, too, Rupa, in most things. But with these lights, there’s no way out. I am seriously considering setting up a cottage industry to manufacture things as pretty but sturdier and very Indian…
[Reply]
The Chinese have crept into the country not only through Arunachal and ‘executing’ projects in POK, but through flooding of the markets with all types of goods. They have now invaded into our own traditional items. As long as we are purchasing their items and our own goods are shunned for different reasons, it will result into larger problematic issues in the future.
[Reply]
Sujata Anandan Reply:
October 30th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
When I was doing up my house, I followed the advice of my interior designer and eschewed everything Chinese for not just nationalistic reasons but also, frankly, commercial ones –he told me if I buy Chinese, I would be replacing my A/Cs and tiles every alternate year, if I stuck to Indian, they would last me at least ten. And my Marwari businessman friend’s advice also proved sound — mehenga toh roye ek baar; sastaa toh roye baar, baar. I would rather shed tears on Indian goods than the Chinese ones and these lights that I have to buy four times over each Diwali prove him right. BUT WHERE ARE THE INDIAN ONES?!!!
[Reply]
Entire US is flooded with Chinese goods. But all these goods work, and work well. Even Duracell batteries sold in the malls of US are from China, and they work. This is because thier traders do not compromise on Quality of products. Our Indian traders (middlemen) only work on cost and not quality. They go to china and bargain hard on cost but give no importance to quality. Chinese will lower thier quality as the cost goes down and give you value for your money only.
Indian also prefer to buy things cheap even knowing that they may not last long. They want to change for a new design next year rather than use the same old stuff for years (Earlier a family car would last for 15 - 20 years, today models are chaged after 5 - 7 years).
Branded goods, even electronics, are expensive in China than that sold in India. There is a big unoroganised sector manufacturing in China which makes these sub standard products which Indian traders prefer to go. Our unorganised sector too is large, but due to its inefficiency, archaic labour laws, poor infrastructure provided by the Govt. and the tax structure they cannot compete with the chinese low cost products…….
[Reply]
If we think more on patriotic grounds, at least we should avoid entry of at least idols of gods made on foreign soils not maintaining any sanctity. However, it is also wondering how China is able to offer to light strings at Rs. 40-50/- Since I am in international business arena, I understood that these lights are available in China at Rs. 10/= per pc which is brought to India and sold ranged from Rs. 40-100/-
I had been using some Chinese lights for 4-5 years and they are working fine unless stretched or badly handled.
There should not be sentimental factor for local goods if we can get much cheaper items from abroad. There should be some norms to fix the profitabilities for the business houses for making profit levels otherwise, if layman does not know, he can be cheated to any extent. Law course is so long that by the time you get justice to fix lootings, it loses the meaning.
So, we should be careful to buy things and do not mind to take foreign brands if cheaper and more durable.
Indians are not setting any standards for quality otherwise, if you see everything going to America is ensure proper value for the money. We also need to bring in such things to improve consumers confidence. There is people did not buy Indian sweets because of so heavy adulteration reported in media. So, our festive spirit can also be measured?
I am 42 years and still feel that unless we buy top brands, otherwise, we are looted since childhood.
Thanks
Thanks .
[Reply]