Made in China

One of my friends recently returned from an onsite trip from the US to her home in India. As expected, she went home with twice the amount of luggage, carrying gifts for all and sundry. They were duly given out, bringing smiles on the faces of people who got the 'Umreeka se gift'. My friend was happy until she overheard one conversation where an old uncle of hers was commenting (in private) to his wife that my friend had probably bought the gifts in India itself. "See this Made in China stamp here? You can buy these things nowadays in any mall around here!". To say the least, she was very disappointed as she told me about this.

My first reaction was, "Don't get anything for that old bugger from now on. In fact, rub the salt in and get gifts for everyone but that hag". But then I began to wonder why he had such a judgement. Perhaps the reason was that he had never seen the way foreign goods have flooded American markets here. Almost all clothes are made in India or Sri Lanka, stationary comes from Vietnam, electronic items come from Malaysia or Indonesia, and then almost everything else comes from China. Right from bicycles to plates to phones to anything that you can name. So while hunting for gifts for people in Walmart or such places, it is next to impossible to get things that are made exclusively in the USA: you just wouldn't find them! And who says that the American market is the only place that has been flooded by these items? Look around yourself --- these international goods are coming in, at every place, every market. The laws of economics will prevail: whenever there is a cheaper alternative at the same quality, anyone will buy the cheaper one.

The bigger problem perhaps is the naysaying or maybe the colonial hangover. I am pretty sure that his kind of man sits at the roadside tea stall and professes to anyone who has time, "Iss desh ka kuchh nahi ho sakta" (No good can come of this country). The kind who will be the first to tell you all the bad things that can happen if you dare venture outside. The frog in the well who refuses to believe that a sea exists. "Oder deshe eisob hoi naki, okhane sob kichhu machine diye jhotpot hoye jai" (Do you think it happens like this in their country? Everything happens smoothly with a machine there). Through consecutive blood-sucking governments, local hooligans and wearisome riots, they have become cynics --- they cannot believe that something good might come of the whole ruckus. Disappointing, incredulous and despairingly morbid; thats the vibe you get around them: no wonder they can't believe that something made in China might be selling in the USA as well, since it is available locally in India.

The bizzare part is not just the way you see the Asian products flooding the markets, but the actual Asian populace too! Everywhere, there are Indians, Chinese, Koreans, Pakistani, Sri Lankan people around us... it is not the all-blonde thing you imagined from the movies. The world is truly merging, and the product that prevails is the one whose quality over price ratio is the highest. Talk about Indian software engineers, Chinese toys, Sri Lankan jeans trousers: if it is what makes business sense, then you'll find it there. Therefore, all ye family members of mine who will receive gifts from me when I go home, remember... you are bound to get some stuff that is "Made in China".