Once upon a time there were two brothers in a village. The older brother was the gentle and peaceful type, while the younger brother was openly mean, dirty, and quarrelsome. After their respective marriages, the small quarrels became more acute, so they decided to separate and build their own houses dividing the same land. On the border between them was a long pond and the elder brother’s house did not even catch a fish that came out of that pond to their area on a rainy day as it was not owned by him. Occasionally, in some affairs, the younger brother would break into the older brother’s house, sometimes threatening him with a dagger. Although the boycott was total for decades, the new generations of both households used to meet, often defying the ban; some of them were close friends; some of them went to different cities for work and there, the members of both families used to freely enjoy living together. The point that stands out here is that a boycott plan doesn’t even work on a microscopic level. Therefore, at the macro level, where we are dealing with two large countries that are also neighbors, a boycott plan is totally unrealistic, detrimental to both and unfeasible. India and China should receive this message clearly and directly.

Exactly why the fairly primitive skirmishes between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh on the night of June 15, 2020 occurred is not known and is not disclosed by either side. . Both countries accused each other of breaking the rules and being aggressive first. The soldiers reportedly used sticks, clubs and stones and fought on the Indian side of the LAC. An Indian Army colonel along with 19 soldiers were martyred, while the Chinese never revealed the casualties on their side, even when news agencies put the casualties at 43. The death of 20 braves created waves of shock, disbelief and anger in all the world. India: Many question the government why the Indian Army used weapons even after an officer with the rank of colonel was killed. Knowledgeable sources refer to a bilateral agreement signed between the two countries in 1996 that prohibited the use of firearms within two kilometers on either side of LAC. The uproar against Chinese aggression that actually started about three months ago when US President Trump accused China of mishandling and spreading the novel coronavirus naturally led to waves of patriotism and jingoism and a planned boycott. total Chinese goods and products. While some contracts with China were officially terminated, several popular organizations joined the movement against Chinese products.

China has been India’s largest trading partner after the US, accounting for nearly 12% of India’s total imports. China accounts for more than 70% of India’s mobile phone market and supplies other products such as toys, firecrackers, garments, etc. at the cheapest possible prices that allow thousands of sellers to do business with profit margins. Several multinational corporations are working with huge Chinese investments. Some companies point out that there is nothing wrong with Chinese investments because they help create jobs and bring enormous benefits to consumers. Self-sufficiency goals for India cannot be achieved overnight, it has to be a long-term strategy. From China’s point of view, it also cannot ignore a huge and growing market like India and therefore cannot risk antagonizing India further. There are reasons why the two countries don’t like each other: India doesn’t like China’s growing closeness to Pakistan in the past year, while China doesn’t approve of India’s closeness to the US at all; There is also the general opinion about China’s ambition to emerge as a global superpower that is now more in focus due to the apparent disastrous US handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the equally disastrous consequences.

Both countries are suffering from a major economic downturn due to the spread of COVID; China managed to effectively control the pandemic with a full lockdown, but now fears a second wave, while India is now in the throes of the virus and in the midst of the unlocking process. Both countries desperately need to recover economically; China has been far ahead of India in terms of economic growth for more than a decade, but cannot afford to suffer further losses; With a likely negative growth rate threatening India for the next fiscal year, it cannot risk another disaster.

Therefore, a boycott plan would be disastrous for both countries and would increase the tension that has not yet subsided. The prospect of war should be the last thought on their minds. Continuous dialogue and negotiations are the natural course for both countries to follow. Patriotism is good and fair, but it should never be at the expense of the country. The people of India should realize this, and the government should educate the citizens about it instead of trying to capitalize on the passions of patriotism and jingoism.