Published 06:26 IST, June 23rd 2020
CAIT members detained for burning Chinese products in Delhi's Karol Bagh market
The members gathered in the market and burnt goods manufactured in China and were later also detained in Karol Bagh police station.
Members of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), lead by Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal burnt Chinese goods in Delhi's Karol Bagh market to demonstrate their resentment and anger against China. The members gathered in the market and burnt goods manufactured in China and were later also detained in Karol Bagh police station.
"Since June 10, CAIT has started a campaign to boycott Chinese goods. It is because of the way the Chinese troops behaved with the Indian Army personnel that we have decided to decrease imports of Chinese goods worth Rs 1 lakh crores by December 2021. We would tell the people of the country that buying products in India is the way to strengthen would strengthen our country. Whenever we buy Chinese products, that money goes to China and is used against our soldiers," Khandelwal told ANI.
Boycott China calls
The movement of boycotting Chinese products has also gathered momentum in the wake of the continuous India-China standoffs. There has been significant anti-China sentiment worldwide, and also similarly in India, for a number of reasons, starting with the spread of the Coronavirus from its territories. China's aggressive expansionism, both economically and territorially, has also contributed to this, though the violent LAC flashpoint is the biggest such geopolitical incident yet. Yesterday's violent standoff claiming lives on both sides in the biggest such standoff in decades on the two nation's history. The last such standoff was in 1975 when India lost 4 soldiers at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh.
Galwan valley incident
On the intervening night between June 15 and 16, the Indian Army and Chinese Army personnel were involved in a massive clash instigated by the Chinese, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 20 Indian soldiers, with China taking between 35-45 casualties, as per at least three accounts which Beijing has been tight-lipped about in the guise of 'goodwill'.
On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed that the entire Galwan Valley was a part of Chinese territory. These claims were dashed in a detailed statement by India's Foreign Ministry, which read that China's claims were "exaggerated and untenable" and that it was not in accordance with China's previous position. "We expect that the Chinese side will sincerely follow the understanding reached between the Foreign Ministers to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas, which is so essential for the overall development of our bilateral relations," MEA stated.
(Image credits: ANI)
Updated 06:26 IST, June 23rd 2020