China’s global boycott is the need of the hour

 R. K. Sinha 

China has caused immense harm.Our life is not the same.Our dreams are shattered. Our economy has  suffered.Grief has overtaken the entire world.There may be dispute over whether or not the Coronavirus was created in a lab in China.But there is no denying that it has spread to over 170 countries from there.Timely information and action might have produced a different result.

Whatever that country may say, US President Donald Trump is convinced it was man-made.He claims he has evidence to proof it.Some others carry the same belief.The demand to seek compensation and a boycott of the county is also growing in this light.

A doubt has been mainly raised on one ground that while lockdown has been imposed in this country and some others  to break the  coronavirus chain,life in China is back to normal.Most of offices and factories have been opened there. Metro rail chugs along again.It has created  suspicion that the country was well prepared to deal with the crisis.In other words, it had knowledge about it.

All this has angered Donald Trump so much that he suspended donation to the World Health Organisation and expressed himself in favour of the demand of compensation.He is sure that this virus was created in the lab of Wuhan Institute of Biology.In fact, during a press conference on May 1, Trump was asked questions about the Wuhan connection to the virus. He then directly accused China.

It  cannot be, without a reason. Trump has also posed some questions to China.He  has asked,is it not true  that when Corona spread in Wuhan preparations were underway to celebrate the Chinese New Yea?. Is is also not true that many Chinese citizens wanted to go out of Wuhan and the Chinese government had allowed them to do so ?They were not reportedly allowed to visit other places in China.It indicated there was a plot.It did not want the virus to spread to other parts of the country.

It is believed that it was because of this limited permission that the death tally was lower in China than the US,Italy or France.How inhuman! China will have to answer these and some other questions. China has been tricky and aggressive. You can expect anything from them. To understand the Chinese government, one has to go to its past.The new generation may not be aware about Tiananmen Square massacre. It may not be known to it that the Chinese military used tanks on pro-democracy protesters in June ,1989,there .Thousands of Chinese youths were surrounded and killed in one of the worst carnage .The then British ambassador to China Alan Donald is on record saying that at least ten thousand people were killed in the military action.

It is not a democratic country where any major issue can be openly debated.The communist government in  that country does not allow any discussion on the  military action.Now,from the past come back to the present.Once again the dark side of China is visible.Even before Trump said it,several World leaders had cried  hoarse over the virus and held China responsible for its journey outside.

The country had captured markets of many countries in Africa before the virus spreading across the World.China has invested so much in African countries that many of them are under its command.It has made considerable investment in India too. Most of our manufacturing units are buying raw materials from China and selling them here with their branding.China has also tried to exploit the current situation and make further investment.Our government saw through the game and tweaked the policy.

Socialist leader George Fernandes had understood the Chinese better.He had warned the country many years before  the outbreak of the Corona epidemic and said ,” our first enemy is China”.How prophetic! Now we have to re-think about the country and import from China. India will have to keep away the temptation of Chinese goods. Remember that China will never lose any chance to weaken India and strengthen Pakistan .China always stood behind Pakistan on  terrorists like Hafiz Saeed. One has to also remember that  China had annexed 37,244 square kilometres of our land  during the 1962 war. Aksaichin is with them even after 58 years of the war.

However, Pakistan is wrong if it thinks China is dependable.That coutr is also bearing the brunt. There too a  number of deaths have taken place.People are still dying . Pakistan should also open its eyes and see the writing on the wall.

Scientists all over the world are working round the clock to prepare the vaccine needed to cure the corona virus. Experiments are being made all over the world in this regard.We were not ready when Corona knocked the door.Neither did we have enough masks,nor PPE kits, testing facilities and ventilators. It is due to Modi’s leadership and determination that we have enough of all these.In fact, we are  exporting them now.The Oxford University scientists have begun trials which have reached the final stages. If all goes well, the vaccine will  be out by June.

After defeating Corana which we will, the World must  teach China a lesson.We have to pay back in the same coin.All economic ties with the country should  be broken.We should not stop there.Whichever country maintains relations with China should be boycotted too.It’s a now or never situation.

(The  author is a Senior Editor , columnist and former MP)