Amid a rising chorus to boycott Chinese products this Diwali, wholesale cracker shop owners in the Jama Masjid area of the national capital seem to have boycotted all Chinese crackers. However, Chinese lights still continue to be sold here.
On a visit to the wholesale market for crackers near Jama Masjid, this correspondent saw that most cracker shop owners have put up posters saying “No to Chinese Crackers”
D.K. Jain, owner of a firecracker shop, told this correspondent, “We are not selling any Chinese crackers this year. This entire market has boycotted Chinese crackers. We know what China is doing to India; so why should we sell something that they are making?”
He further added that most of the crackers sold in the market are manufactured in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, and they have been following and promoting the “Make in India” initiative of Government of India.
Ankur, another shopkeeper, of Prem Fireworks, said, “We are neither selling nor purchasing any Chinese crackers this time. Chinese crackers are risky. It is also being said that China is sending some virus packed inside their crackers, which would be released along with the smoke. So we have all decided not to sell Chinese crackers anywhere.”
However, Chinese lights and other China-made products for Diwali are being sold at Sadaar Bazaar, one of the largest wholesale markets in Asia, also known as the hub of Chinese products in India.
Several shopkeepers at the Sadaar Bazaar wholesale market, however, said that they would boycott all Chinese products from next year as for this year, they had already placed their orders much before India’s relations had soured with Pakistan and China.
Jaspreet Singh, a shopkeeper selling Chinese lights, said, “This is the last year you are seeing Chinese lights. From next year, we will make in India. They (China) should realise that even India can do things on its own.”
Another shopkeeper, however, said that Chinese products are very cheap and no Indian product can match the price that China gives. However, many shopkeepers selling Chinese products maintained that they were made in India and not China.
Asked if the shopkeepers were told to boycott Chinese products by any political party, Sadiq Hussain, another shopkeeper, said, “No political party has told us anything, we are doing it on our own. We love our nation as much as the political parties.” Satish Upadhyay, Delhi BJP president, said that the party has not told anybody to boycott anything.