20 January,2009 01:42 PM IST | | Soumya Mukerji, Prawesh Lama
In the grand old gullies of Purani Dilli, even the traditional saree or gota work is no longer Indian....it's Chinese
AKSHAY Kumar travels on reel from Chandni Chowk to China and gives us, by most accounts, an average movie.
MiD DAY on Monday tried the reverse route, and found that the real story lies in what's coming from mighty China to Delhi's Chandni Chowk, the icon of refined Indianness.
And it is not just the cheap watches and stereos.
Infiltrating centuries-old tradition and a wholesale business worth a few hundred crores, Chinese are making and sending our very own sarees, ethnic jewellery, Rajasthani gota work, crochets and faux feather wraps by the millions. Delhi 6 has an Oriental overdose in every conceivable product, and most are marketed as 'traditional'.
Also, the four great inventions of ancient China rule at the heart of Delhi's heritage districtu00a0paper in the form of decorative ready-to-use Origami artworks, printing in the many presses on Nai Sarak which use cheap imported equipment and inks, excellently-finished collectors' compasses which range from Rs 150 to Rs 450 and gunpowder (we thankfully couldn't trace that one!) Posing as retailers looking for import-quality wholesale stocks, MiD DAY trolled the bylanes of Old Delhi, and got strange offers.
"Pure Chinese necklace hain, chrome-plated plastic mein. Metallic finish, just for Rs 45," said Rohit K from New Swastik Collection, an 'authentic jewellery' shop at Kinari Bazar in Chandni Chowk.
Locally-printed Chinese sarees were unfurled next at a lehenga-chunni outlet. "Bilkul fresh maal hain. Aap abhi order do, abhi 100 piece aur mangwa dunga (It's fresh stock. You place an order now, we'll deliver another 100 pieces immediately)," said salesman Navin Chopra.
If it's the finer stuff you fancy, there's Chinese lace at desi gota shops. "Thoda mehenga padega lekin (It'll be a little expensive)," cautioned a shopkeeper at Supreme Embroidery, as he announced the Rs 60-a-metre price tag.
Gurudutt Boxwalla, for instance, sells Indian traditional wedding gift-pouches made with Chinese tissue. "We get stock from China every two months, but they don't send the same piece twice," said the vendor.
It has been happening full throttle since last year. Chinese goods are cheaper, and have a neat finish. Most items are routed through distributors in Mumbai and Bangalore.
Trade associations can't help but grieve.
"Chinese materials are inferior, come with no guarantee, but have captured 40 per cent of the business," said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general of the Confederation of All-India Traders. "After Independence, no government has given importance to the well-being of internal trade, which contributes to 70 per cent of India's economy, but is still ignored since big multinationals have come."
The association suggested forming a controlling bodyu00a0Ministry of Internal Tradeu00a0which can check the smuggling of fakes.
"Eighty per cent of the American economy has been taken over by Chinese man-ufacturers, and the same will happen here unless prohibitory policies are made," said Khandelwal.
And then of course is the usual Chinese fare like toys multiplying like rabbits in the Walled City. Dealers insist they're better than homegrown items.
"The Fajiabao doll set is to America what Barbie is to India. Don't write it off just because it's Chinese the quality is only getting better by the day," said Suniti Sehgal, owner of store number 325, Lajpat Rai market. Hers is one of the many shops that deal in Chinese toys and their repair.
Pretty pump-shoes, jackets, gizmos and 'China markets' with dirt cheap miscellanea starting from Rs 35 are today a far more common sight than the elegant minarets and the havelis here.
