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The other day I received a forward from a friend which read "SAVE THE INDIAN RUPEE" in the subject line. It was really one of those forwards that stink of being created for the sake of propaganda or cults without giving much thought to the nature and implications of the contents. The types that would be created to protect vested interests.
The mail advocates buying products and services from only companies that are wholly Indian, and shunning the multinationals. The same multinationals that were invited by the Indian Government to set up Industrial and manufacturing units here. It was done to give a boost to the Indian economy, to provide opportunity to the immense labor force that is available here, and thus improve the standard and the life style of Indians.
We indulge in such "swadeshi" rhetoric without any thought of the consequences of the actions that we most patriotically advocate.
The mail read -
1. Buy only products manufactured by WHOLLY INDIAN COMPANIES.
2. ENROLL as many people as possible for this cause.....Let us for a moment consider that by our Swadeshi movement , we do succeed in managing to drive out the multinationals and they close shop.
What would be the consequence?
Let us imagine that Unilever (formerly HLL) is closed down - just because people stop buying its products. It will be bulk of our own countrymen that shall be thrown out of employment. The author of the forward has rightly stated that we loose foreign exchange when we do buy a product of a multinational, but to what extent? He does not question or elaborate on that. He does not question the immense negetive fallout such a movement could have on our economy and employment scenario. AND we - like of flock of sheep - fall prey to the rhetoric and blindly forward such mails.
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| Pictured is a bonfire of British clothing, a real and symbolic destruction of the British control of India, and the precursor to spinning for independence. |
Most of us that use the net are a fairly educated lot, it is our moral duty to stop such forwards and even educate the non-thinking people who fall prey to the gamut.
The pre-independence movement may have been right for its time and helped us gain freedom from the British, but we need to take care and not let our economy slide backwards.
Why do we need to protect our industry and coerce our countrymen to buy from them? In this world of global economy - Indian industry needs to become competitive and not remain protected in the garb of a swadeshi gimmick
