WHAT DRIVES CHINA: An Indian narrates his China story.

‘We Indians need to be aware of what is going on in the world today, especially in the neighborhood. We must also shift to a more pragmatic and effective approach in our thoughts and actions. And the sooner this is adopted, the better, to compliment the steps taken by the government of India,’ says Amit Waikar. An avid China watcher, who has spent twelve years in Shanghai, had Presided over the Indian Association there and is the recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, 2019.

Recently, while interacting with a select group of Indians, Amit cited a few examples to put his thoughts across. The Chunilal family, an Indian family with roots in Fiji had a large manufacturing facility based in China under the Capital world group, an internationally renowned brand in textiles and fabric. Since the Chunilal family has Indian roots, they wanted to establish their outside China plant in Indian city of Chennai. But, due to the lukewarm response by the state government, the group felt disappointed and since, has moved to Vietnam.

The foxconn plant that moved from China to Chennai in India is also facing problems mostly due to the trade union mentality and has faced temporary shutdowns. There are intelligence reports, even shared by the media, that point to Chinese hand in the Chennai Foxconn labor strike.  While in China, the companies are sternly told to handle the issues like salary and payments properly and those facing labor unrest are suitably warned.

Amit pointed out, ‘To compete or match with China and it’s scale of manufacturing, we Indians must transform our approach and attitude. It is not something that only the government will do. If India has to reach that point, mental and technological preparation by Indians, be it common Indians on the streets, or Indians in the industry or in the government mechanism, is vital. There is a lot that can be done by our people.’

‘For the modern China, almost everything is about economy. And it aims at becoming an economic super power of the world. The phenomenal increase in infrastructure stands testimony for the pursuit. The train from Beijing to Brussels covering roughly about nine thousand kilometers, is an example.’

‘Now let’s come to the main question,- what drives China? The answer is ‘word China’. In Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhonghu; it literally means the ‘Central State’ or ‘Middle Kingdom’. Their belief of being the center of the world for thousands of years, probably persists even today. The local conversations reveal that the West is often blamed for allegedly taking away the so called ‘the center of the world’ status.

‘There are estimated 94 thousand Indians in China. Shanghai is a showcase city for China. The Pudong International airport is also connected by the Shanghai Maglev Train that runs 300km per hour, seemingly a commercial ‘over the top expenditure’, that apparently aims to impress the international investors.’

‘Two centuries ago, the prominent Indian presence in Shanghai was mainly marked by two aspects : the enterprises by the Tatas and the Parsi hotels. Before the second world war, Shanghai had a good number of tall Sikhs in the city’s Police force. People in Shanghai continue to be in awe of the Sikhs, even today.’

‘Presently however, most of the Indian traders there are Gujarati & Sindhis, who form Chinese Companies, adopt Chinese names for their trade, to gel with the local populace.  Also for example, in Yiwu, Shaoxing and Kachao, the Indian artisans there, prepare Sky lamps and lamp rows for Chinese companies, in Chinese factories, which are then exported to India for our Diwali season. Now we, the Indians, have to change our outlook, because no one else can do that for us.’

Amit and his wife Aparna spent twelve years in Shanghai. Amit headed the Indian Association from 2012 to 2016. During his term, he focused on addressing the issues and grievances of the Indians there in eastern China region. It is interesting to note that in China such associations are not allowed to be registered. The Indian association has tactfully resolved this issue by seeking patronage of the Indian Consulate in Shanghai. The association is also engaged in the promotion of art, culture and Indian values across China. During some of its events, some of the local Chinese women were dressed in ‘Nau-wari’ Marathi sarees and the men folk in Phete, the traditional Indian turbans.

To bring the Indian population closer to the Indian Association, Amit successfully organized shows by popular Indian Film industry personalities such as Sudesh Bhosle, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, Kailash Kher and also the illustrious Mangeshkar family : Pandit Hridaynath ji, Usha ji Mangeshkar & Radha Mangeshkar

Most importantly, Amit played a key role in organizing a grand welcome to the Indian PM Shri Narendra Modi in 2015 which was attended by several thousands of Indians staying in China. This was unusual, since public events are not allowed to be held there.

Amit proudly informs, that the association has now reached 12 cities giving safety, security and legal counsels to Indians in need. They are also assisted in connecting back to India, if and when they decide to leave.

President of India, Ram Nath Kovind awarded him Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2019, in acknowledgement of his outstanding contribution in the field of business and in recognition of his valuable contribution in promoting the honour and prestige of India and in fostering the interests of overseas Indians.

Besides the big demographic change brought in Tibet, one can witness modern trains, high-rise towers, and a fashionably glittering airport, too, in today’s Tibet. China has made its local governments in each province pour huge amounts of money in Tibet since more than a decade. The money has played its role and it shows everywhere. Anyone visiting Tibet today is bound to feel worried over the possibility of ethnic Tibetans turning minority in their own land, in near future.

So what is the way forward for Indians? According to Amit, the new generation of Indians has learnt a lot from the past and are making their presence felt across the world. ‘It’s time, we change our outlook and approach to suit the challenges and demands of a better future !’

Currently he is Managing Director, South East Asia of Doehler Food & Beverage Ingredients Thailand Company Limited, from 2020. He is connected to Ramkrishna mission and also associated with a number of other bodies involved in social causes.

Amit has an MBA by Nagpur University, and is a double graduate in environmental science and  in English literature.

Amit was born in Nagpur, in Central India, in 1975. His illustrious father Dr Vinay Waikar was a military doctor, also known for his books as an authority on Urdu ghazals. After retirement, Dr Waikar’s presentations of war stories were also very well received by all age groups.