During Covid, I did wait for China to apologize to the world at large for the damage the Wuhan virus did to every single nation on earth, from loss of precious human lives to the national economies coming to a complete standstill. That is what a nation with a CONSCIOUSNESS would have done. How many billion, trillion dollar worth of productivity was lost because of the virus that emanated from China. The kind of tragedy that we witnessed we cannot forget for a lifetime. I was in India with my husband caught up in middle east. We did not see each other for over one year. How many families got divided in this period. People went in clusters, in bunches like a bunch of grapes. In Chennai alone how many even medicos lost their lives. Bodies were given mass cremation. In modern world history, after the second world war, the covid must be the greatest pandemic/global event to register this kind of monumental loss in every sphere. Yet there was not one word of regret from China in the media. Theirs is an affluent economy. But how did they compensate the weaker vulnerable nations that got afflicted worse. The smaller nations were totally crushed. Their economic machinery ground to a complete halt overnight. The poorest who lost their daily bread suffered the most. No society was spared. But did the Chinese PM even once get on to the world stage to a single ‘sorry.’ I am not sure whether I am the only one to nurture such a sentiment.
Over the decades, China has completely destroyed many many economies especially the smaller, poorer, vulnerable ones, plying them with their cheap plastics. The disposable culture is now prevalent in the world thanks to mass chinese productions. Local factories and cottage industries shut shop wherever the chinese goods entered the market. Jobs were lost in millions. China even bombarded India with cheap plastic Lord Ganeshas and took over our Diwali with their fancy fireworks. Indian industry suffered all around inspite of Indian government putting in place a protection policy to safeguard the economy from the relentless Chinese invasion. One can imagine what could have happened to vulnerable small nations with fragile economy. SOLD OUT TO CHINA virtually with surrendering their natural resources such as harbours/ports, precious minerals and metals and mines, airspace, water, etc., etc. Many African and Asian countries continue to be neck deep in debt to China. Modern day Shylock. Just ask the Sri Lankans. Or even the Pakistanis who are quietly applying balm to their economic wounds from the chinese stabbings.
In the social media, the chinese fought a shadow war with us Indians everyday almost, ridiculing us for our sluggish growth. Through all these years, it looks like the chinese were focused on LIVING FOR AMERICA AND WORKING FOR AMERICA, not for themselves really. Whereas we have kind of self-sufficient economy in India. We can do without exports completely if it comes to that. Still we can survive. China had to erase Tiananmen square from the public memory. They have generations now who know nothing about the historic event. This is how China functions. India is a time tested democracy of 1.4 billion plus and counting. Just let China hold her first democratic elections and see what happens. You will have 100 pieces of China overnight. Already the joblessness must be stirring the masses into restlessness. What kind of skill is theirs? Repetitive job that can get the population nowhere if laid off.
India is the spiritual capital of the world. The kind of materialism you see in US and China, India will NOT even aspire of. Our ways and goals are different.
Although I was surprised by the chinese’ sense of humour when they flooded the social media with their MAGA memes, I must admit that what they said therein may also be ironically true. But not something that cannot be changed. Americans became fat and lazy probably because of losing their work culture to China. They can change but that can take time. Its still the best to happen to America, although they could have enforced the tariffs by phases. America is world’s No.1 economy and therefore the world expects the US to be a little more responsible. Implementation of tariffs could have been in stages and in dollops gradually increasing over years. Sudden deathly blow of very high tariffs and the ego war between world leaders seem to crush the weaker nations with even the mighty China not spared, as we can see. I still think about the chinese factory workers. What do the innocent middle class folks have to do with all this powerplay?
Then there is the question of India becoming dumping grounds for the tonnes of goods meant for export to US, piling in chinese ports. Modi governments needs to be extra vigilant and keep away the chinese manufacturers trying to gain a foothold into India through backdoor diplomacy. Next to America, only India can absorb that volume of useless cheap chinese production. Give them a toe hold – and then down the shutters on Indian industry for good.
Can status quo be restored? Precious trust has been lost between America and China. China has learnt a valuable lesson from the US. Once bitten, twice shy. They will have to reprogram their economy completely after this unforeseen disaster. The next time may they build a viable economy that is self-focused.
How the chinese mocked our PM Modi for flying to the US to meet president Trump without an invite. Even I was kind of irked when I saw my PM swallow his pride in front of the whole world. It hurt us deeply when social media made us a laughing stock. Now we get it that, its more important to take care of OURSELVES, our masses and our average factory workers and peasants and valuable exporters than boosting our national ego. Vishwaguru for a reason! As PM Modi was greeted and escorted by Saudi airforce planes as his aircraft reached their airspace this evening, and as the US VP Vance spoke in the business forum in Jaipur at the same time, after months of chaos, finally we can see some clarity emerge. Modi and Jaishankar are an awesome team. This is what we call Chanakya Tantra. Rare wisdom. Its prudent to choose our battles – what to fight and what not to fight. We can change any situation into ‘win-win.’
Chanakya in Artha Shastra said, before the birth of Christ, that we have to use the political tools of Sama, Dhana, Bedha, Dhanda when it comes to diplomacy. Same is making a treaty or friendly pact with the aggressor. Dhana is giving up something for the mutual benefit. Bedha is using a discriminatory policy to achieve a result. The last resort is to punish or wage a war. Hindus avoid the last option always.
What about China. Useless war inflicted on hapless unprepared India in 1961 with Indian territory illegally occupied by China even today. India was taken by surprise because this came just months after the Mao’s visit to India. Even my granny used to say that, when Nehru presented him with a gold finger ring with India map, he said, ‘now India is in my hands.’ Tell me now China, what is betrayal of trust? China with India in 1961 or America with China in 2025? India secured UN security council seat for China but it is China that now prevents us from getting in there. The China occupation of dharmic country Tibet is history. China joined hands with Pakistan arming their terrorists to teeth to fight a proxy war with us in our borders. Nonstop headache is China. President Trump may consider this: having China as your next door neighbour. That is what India is suffering from. Imagine having China and Pakistan for neighbour. You are lucky to have Mexico and Canada as neighbours. Please be kind to them! And now we have this same China begging India to become their ally , issuing 85,000 visas to Indian tourists to go shopping in Beijing. (Given a chance, I may hahaha. What to do, our husbands are kanjoos.)
China will have to do a lot of restructuring and reorganizing from the insides. My heart still goes out to their masses. Lives ruined. But world just has had a covid. I am sure that experience can help China overcome this crisis. Building skyscrapers and highways that are not needed is not essentially growth. Sometimes slow and steady growth can be healthy in the long run. It can make you less dependent on others. But China must have an enormous surplus. They must be able to come out of this situation. Barring exports, China is doing great in other sectors. America is only the icing on the cake. Extra something.
A nation’s wealth lies in their culture and heritage. Even if the democrats may return to power tomorrow after Trump, neither China nor America are going to like to be in this spot ever again in future. America will start becoming an industrial nation once again with local productions, and China may start slowing down and build an economy (based on local consumption and demand mostly) (they already have that and are self sustaining). America may take its own sweet time but I got the feeling there that they are serious this time. They want their jobs back. This is why India is a nation of idlis and samosas and biriyanis and Ganga aarti and temples and satsangs and gurus and ashrams first. This is enough. What we have is enough. We are happy. We don’t have to become the next China. I am a Hindu housewife who never worked in an office from my 27th year. I enjoy life and I spend 2-3 hours everyday in puja/meditation. Can you imagine a chinese woman doing that. This is how and why are different. Invite the chinese to visit the hundreds of thousands of temples throughout the length and breadth of India where masses spend hours. That shall show them how India is growing holistically than materialistically.
What is this race for? Who wants to reach the Mars first? I was reading this from someone who is a local who stated that in last 17 years, he managed a mantra japa chanting to a Hindu deity to the tune of 51 crores. Of course he is an astral traveler. India has thousands of yogis that way who casually travel out of their bodies to the multiverse. You are comparing this punya Hindu bhoomi to mechanical robotic China that has no soul? Well, quantum physics… Hindu Spirituality begins where quantum physics ENDS. Period.
Finally my concern is about the Outlet Malls in American cities that are my favourite shopping places! I don’t shop much -not easy to shop under the unwavering gaze of an Indian husband who counts every penny! Still I manage to do a little every year and I love their Outlet Malls the most for their stunning range and brands and best prices. Now I am wondering whether there will any outlet Mall left surviving at all in the US in future.
Having said that, equations can change overnight. But something invaluable between China and the US seems to have been broken. Will China trust America ever again. Can America survive without China at all?
DEAR CHINA. DEAL WITH AMERICA DIRECTLY. LEAVE US INDIANS OUT OF THIS MADNESS. PLEASE KEEP YOUR FACTORY GOODS AND WE DON’T WANT THEM IN INDIA. DO NOT DUMP CHEAP CHINESE MAKE IN INDIAN MARKETS. THANK YOU.
vijiravindran's 