Now or Never: MIC Boycott Campaign in India
(by Sethu Das | January 1, 2003)
No MIC Man in Dharamshala
"To be silent in the face of great social evil is to be an accessory to
injustice"
The 'refusal to buy or use' British products by the Irish Sinn Fien
marked the beginning of the 'boycott' movement in the modern times. From
Ireland to one of the most successful boycott campaigns in South Africa in
the '80s, the world has witnessed many attempts to boycott products made or
distributed by the adversary in order to create a world of slaves. 'Boycott'
has become one of the effective methods of protest. From the boycott of the
British-made cloths to British-distributed liquor by the Indians; boycott of
Marcos-controlled media to Coca-cola products by the people of Philippines;
boycott of Israeli-products to Israeli-distributed Coca-cola by the
Palestinians to the boycott of American-controlled Chilean goods by the
people of Chile, we have seen people in different parts of the globe
fighting for their rights without ignoring their duties. The visible success
of consumer boycotts strengthened the belief of many in the developed and
developing countries.
Tibetans in exile have tried and still trying many methods of protests to
send their message across to Beijing. Unfortunately, the boycotts of 'Made
in China' products were limited to the demonstration of occasional burning
of broken products at a venue convenient to the photographers and to the
wire-agencies. While appealing the international community and nations to
boycott Chinese products and questioning China's entry to WTO and the MFN
status, Chinese goods are enjoying the status of the most preferred products
in many Tibetan homes. When the ordinary, uneducated Tibetans admire the
quality of inferior Chinese products, the educated ones get into the debate
on the 'pros and cons' of the boycott movement.
Without getting into a debate or waiting for the blessings, the members of
the Friends of Tibet (INDIA) and its advisors decided to start one of the
most difficult campaigns from January 1st, 2003 -- the boycott of the Made
in China goods in India by Indians and Tibetans. While discussing this, many
of us also felt the importance of the campaign at this stage as cheap
Chinese products are replacing our own products and becoming a threat to
Indian industry. Some even felt that we are years late to make the Tibetan
settlements free of Chinese goods. Meanwhile, It is encouraging to see about
1,400 members of the organisation taking a pledge that they'll never sell,
buy or use any products Made in China. Our first task is to educate the
shopkeepers 'why it is immoral to buy and sell Made in China Products.' Then
we'll speak to individual buyers and later to the authorities.
"The oppression of people must stop and as China is now beginning to
negotiate a peaceful settlement we support the move whole heartedly.
However should these delicate negotiations fail, we from the multi lateral
forces outside China and Tibet have to ensure that the talks continue and
that a peaceful solution is found. We therefore believe that a boycott of
Chinese products will help us develop and grow the power of consumer
boycotts," says Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi and an advisor
to Friends of Tibet (INDIA)'s boycott movement. She is a firm believer of
consumer power and finds many reasons to support this movement. Rajiv Vora,
a life-long worker with the Gandhi Peace Foundation and an advisor to
Friends of Tibet (INDIA)'s boycott movement says "In the boycott of Chinese
goods lies non-cooperation with the regime that is out to destroy Tibet, and
humiliate and damage India. Buy Chinese goods if you wish to fund forced
labour in China; Chinese repression in Tibet; and, China's aggression on India".
The first person to come forward to take the pledge and make his shop free
of Chinese products on the New Year day was Rahul Rana, a 11-year old
student who owns a small shop in a village near Dharamshala. Samten, a
63-year old Tibetan shopkeeper came next. Since today morning, 61
shopkeepers have taken the pledge that they'll never sell any products Made
in China. This is perhaps the first time the boycott of Chinese goods is
being initiated by an organisation and the supporters of the cause of Tibet
in a disciplined and organised way covering nine Indian cities and states
starting from Dharamshala. While Tenzin Tsundue (General Secretary of
Friends of Tibet INDIA) and his team of six to eight people worked day and
night to make this happen in Dharamshala, others in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta,
Madras, Pune, Hyderabad, Sikkim and Kerala are planning different
strategies. He sees success in this campaign because of its different nature
and the approach.
It is interesting to read Gandhiji's reply to Charles Andrews about burning
foreign goods in Bombay in 1921. Gandhiji wrote: "I want to destroy the
goods which harm India. Millions of Indians have been ruined by the English
factories, which, by taking work away from India, have turned thousand upon
thousands into Pariahs and mercenaries and their women into prostitutes.
India is already inclined to hate her British dominators. I do not wish to
strengthen this hatred. On the contrary, I want to sidetrack it, to turn
away from people to 'things.' The Indians who bought the materials are as
guilty as the British who sold them. The materials were not burned as an
expression of hatred for the England, but as a sign of India's determination
to break with the past. It was a necessary surgical operation".
Hundred years ago, during the Swadeshi Movement, India's 'dumb millions'
burned foreign clothes in public and never bought them again. About one lakh students quit their schools and hundreds stopped serving the government. Women refused
to wear foreign bangles and use foreign utensils; they refused to wash
foreign clothes. Even the priests declined offerings, which contained
foreign sugar.
Tibetans can do it -- inside and in exile.
Alexander Hescher
MIC Boycott Education Campaign in India was launched by the Friends of Tibet (INDIA) from January 1, 2003
