Sikkim standoff: Mumbai activists ask residents to boycott ‘Made in China’ goods, plan stir

Mumbai city news: Members of the NGO Watchdog Foundation and several citizens said they would urge Customs and importers not to clear goods from China.

As the border standoff between India and China continues, activists and residents of Andheri are planning a silent protest at the Air Cargo Complex at Sahar. Their aim: boycott ‘Made in China’ goods.

Indian and Chinese troops face off in a remote and strategically sensitive part of the Himalayas where India, China and Bhutan meet. (HT)

Members of the NGO Watchdog Foundation and several citizens said they would urge Customs and importers not to clear goods from China.

Godfrey Pimenta, the NGO’s trustee, said the intention is to create awareness and “send a message of patriotism among masses”. “We are not forcing anyone to boycott. We are merely asking importers to stop clearing and forwarding imports. We want to send the right message by doing this,” Pimenta said.

The protestors also plan to appeal to the government to ban all ‘Made in China’ goods and instead, encourage manufacturing in India. The NGO said will hold another protest on Saturday, where it plans to destroy imported Chinese products.

But traders said avoiding all Chinese goods will be difficult. The chairman of Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry and Trade (CAMIT), Mohan Gurnani, told HT, “It is not possible to avoid using all China-made items. But as an act of nationalism and in public interest, we need to encourage manufacturing goods in our own country.”The director-general of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arvind Pradhan, said, “We should encourage consumption of Indian products to boost our economy. As Indians, we should be aware that by buying products ‘Made In India’, we are helping our nation.” Both CAMIT and IMC, however, said it will be difficult to compete with Chinese products, as they are cheaper.