RSS-affiliate ups ante against government’s policies

NEW DELHI: The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has upped the ante against government’s policies that it blames

NEW DELHI: The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has upped the ante against government’s policies that it blames for the proliferation of Chinese products in Indian markets.

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The announcement came on the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Beijing for the G20 Summit, raised concerns with China over the CPEC. SJM functionaries said a ban on the import of Chinese goods will be the theme of its ‘Swadeshi Saptah’, a week-long event to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay on September 25 and Mahatma Gandhi on October 2.

At a meeting of its central working committee, it was decided to intensify campaign against FDI reforms announced by the government, import of Chinese goods and GM crops.

The SJM has been at odds with the BJP over the issue of allowing FDI in key sectors such as defence, food processing and pharma. It has criticised the NDA’s economic policies for not creating jobs or giving impetus to small and medium businesses.

“There is an invasion of goods from China, which is killing our own manufacturing. We want the government to put curbs on imports from China. Even developed countries are beginning to turn from globalisation to protectionism,” Ashwani Mahajan, co-convenor of SJM, told HT.

SJM, which supports domestic production, will organise public events to create awareness about the “pitfalls” of GM foods.

“We don’t want to lose sight of what is happening in the field of GM foods, we want to keep up the pressure on the government, not to give in,” he said.