Economically stale worldly air was extremely turbulent few weeks back, especially the Indian subcontinent which was horrendously rocked by Indo China border dispute when she was already reeling under the ravenous COVID 19 with still no end in sight. Each soul was (and still is) suffering from ghastly mental issues in one or other way, on top of it we had a garnishing of physical grief added to our accounts too owing to continuous flashing of martyr’s faces on our TV screens. The common man desperately wanted to help the nation and was aimlessly swaying the sword of vengeance until he had hishands laid on a valiant weapon called #Boycott Chinese products. COVID 19 has rekindled the ‘Spirit of Swadeshi’ long forgotten after the LPG reforms. A wave of patriotism is on its way and is gaining mass worldwide owing to the deadly virus that as many say is one of the dark sides of the concept of globalization. The Indians together want to deplete the Chinesedominance for once and for all.
I too sensed an opportunity to resurrect the fading patriotism in me when I thought of buying a Smartphone – homicidal equipment yet as important as oxygen nowadays. Naturally, before buying I dived into the world of Google and started scanning potential Smartphones in concurrence with my budget. To my horror, the market was claustrophobically filled with Chinese products. I was too pumped up and not yet ready to let the initial show of dragon power put me down. I searched for Indian Smartphones specifically and the same fiery inner self of mine trembled. Enlisted Indian phones were hardly market beaters, I regretfully analysed. Despite being light on the pocket, the specification and reviews diluted the much-embedded zeal. Even Amazon, the demigod of e-commerce was not interested in selling them. The idea of swadeshi had already started dwindling. I moved towards a friendly nation of India (US). That too would count as a semi-swadeshi right? My inner pretentious being was jumping in anticipation over buying one of the finest phones ever made. Ignoring the penury of my pocket, I hopelessly added this luxurious Smartphone to my cart and waved it off under the banner of ‘one-time expenditure’.
A moment later, the bourgeois syndrome dashed in and begged for a peek into those forbidden Chinese products. I dwelled into the pool of comparison with fervor to brutally reject them but unfortunately, a feeling of awe entered. China’s leading electronic companies provided something way above average at a very reasonable price making my financial and greedy soul smile. The practical essence and reliability was a treat to the intellectual mind and the Indian in me was pained, is still aching inside out due to this unfathomable revelation.
Now entered the dilemma, I desperately wanted to be Swadeshi but without compromising on specifications. I wanted to have a heavy product which was light on my pocket. My inner self cried “Why can’t we Indians make such products when we are demographically at our best in conjunction with being a land of the brightest of the minds? Government-backed Make in India, Software Technology Park Scheme, Electronics Development Fund Policy, Atal Tinkering Mission and many more such plausible initiatives are already in place. But is it still enough? Is this emotional patriotic impulse enough to sustain? Is the materialistic and policy-related back up strong enough to let this emotional sense sustain for long and for good? It’s been weeks and I still have got no answer for it backed by the political turmoil simmering in our nation I have lost any of the confidence in our ability to be technologically or even be socially developed.
My thoughts became too controversial for my swadeshi soul. I shooed away the idea of buying a Smartphone as of now. Indian inside me was scared of being called a blemished traitor and the tenant consumer was not ready to incur the hefty loss.
