The government of India banned 59 Chinese mobile applications including top famous platforms like Tik Tok We Chat and Helo. Other apps including share it, UC browser and shopping apps like Clubfactory and Shein also felt the blow. This came as a response to the border conflict between the two few weeks ago.
As an immediate reaction to the June 29 decision of government of India, Chinese Foreign Minister spokesperson Zhao Lijan said that the Chinese government was “strongly concerned” and that India is not upholding the rights of international investors. Even prior to this, Indian citizens were roaring a Chinese boycott of all goods and services. On June 25 the Delhi Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association announced that Chinese nationals were no longer welcomed in 3,000 hotels. On June 17, CAIT boycotted 450 Chinese products over “continued border skirmishes.” Indian government is also rumoured to stop Chinese companies like Huwaei and ZTE from providing equipment in their 5G upgrade thus including private players too
Opponents of this decision by the Indian government claim that this violates international relations and fear retaliation from the Chinese government. However employing boycott tactics to show disapproval and conveying protest has been a vital part on Indian Nationalism. This somewhere resembles the Swadeshi movement, Anything that is not swadeshi or Indian was to be boycotted, today adopting the same principles our country is built on we boycott everything made in china. As Gandhi believed, this would ensure Purna Swaraj or absolute self-governance. While some people may question the logic behind this move and call it hyper-nationalism, the call for boycotting Chinese products remains a strong economic move and can surely escalate consumer demands towards domestic good. In this regard e-commerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart have readily agreed to display “country of origin” for goods sold online in India. Government E market place also enabled the Made In India filter on the platform to promote local products.
