In a bizarre move, the Delhi’s Hotel and Guest House Owners Association (DHURVA) announced that no Chinese guests would be given accommodation in hotels and guest houses in the national capital.
DHURVA, a group of budget hotels in the city, made the announcement after the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) urged traders and service providers to boycott China.
In a letter to CAIT, DHURVA wrote, “We are pleased to inform you that are association has decided to wholeheartedly support the campaign of CAIT and as such we decided to boycott Chinese goods that are being used in our hotels and restaurants and henceforth, we will not be using any Chinese products in our establishments. It is also to inform you that we have also decided to not give any room to a Chinese national at a time China is repeatedly in attacking mode on our brave Indian forces.”
According to an India Today report, CAIT's National General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal welcomed the decision, saying that it is clear that people from different sections of the country are joining in the call for a boycott of Chinese goods initiated by CAT.
But will boycotting Chinese products be a solution? According to an Economic Times report, India's imports from China totalled $65.1 billion in fiscal 2020 and exports at $16.6 billion. India's imports from China totalled $65.1 billion in fiscal 2020 and exports at $16.6 billion, which translated into a trade deficit of $48.5 billion
Furthermore, China is India’s second largest trading partner after the United States. Besides electronics, India imports raw materials for pharmaceuticals, chemical, automotive parts. According to a BBC report, 70 per cent of India’s drug trade intermediary needs are fulfilled by China. So, if India does ban imports from China, it will be loss for New Delhi.
Secondly, India has a significantly large population working in China and the Indian move by both CAIT and DHURVA may backfire on Indians working there.
Only on Wednesday, Maharashtra Industry Minister Subhash Desai on Wednesday said the implementation of MoUs with three Chinese companies, which envisaged an investment of Rs 5,020 crore, will not be a problem now with the improvement in relations between India and China, following easing of tension at the border.
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