India-China Tension US says it recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and “strongly opposes” any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by China across LAC
Our Bureau
New Delhi
This year’s Holi is all about ‘Made in India,’ with traders and consumers boycotting goods manufactured in China. Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Friday said that for this year’s Holi festival only products that are manufactured in India are being sold in abundance.
“Traders and consumers have boycotted goods made in China. Only herbal colors, gulal, water guns, balloons, sandalwood, puja items, clothing, and other items made in India are being sold in abundance. Additionally, there is a huge demand for sweets, dry fruits, gift items, flowers and fruits, clothes, furnishing fabrics, groceries, FMCG products, consumer durables, and various other products in the markets,” Khandelwal said.
Khandelwal, who is also the BJP candidate from Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, said that large-scale Holi events are being organized across Delhi and the rest of the country, resulting in a boost for banquet halls, farmhouses, hotels, restaurants, and public parks, witnessing good business after two years.
“In Delhi alone, more than 3,000 Holi celebration events are being organized, where people are experiencing a new joyous and enthusiastic atmosphere,” he said.
He also informed that compared to previous years, “There’s an estimated increase of nearly 50 per cent in business during the Holi season nationwide, resulting in a business worth more than Rs 50,000 crore.”
“In Delhi alone, the expected business is around Rs 5,000 crore. Similar to previous years, both traders and common people have completely boycotted Chinese goods sold during Holi. The import of Holi-related items in the country is approximately Rs 10,000 crore, which was negligible this year,” he said.
The CAIT Secretary General also said that demand for chemical-free colors, herbal colors, and gulal is more compared to artificial colors, and demand for balloons and water guns is higher than in previous years.
“Various types of water guns, balloons, and other attractive items are available in the market. Pressure guns are available from Rs 100 to Rs 350, while tank-shaped water guns are available from Rs 100 to Rs 400. Besides, there is a craze for fancy pipes in the market. Children like Spiderman, Chhota Bheem, and similar characters, and there is a high demand for spray gulal,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United States has said that it recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and “strongly opposes” any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by China across the Line of actual Control.
US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel’s statement came a few days after the Chinese military repeated its claim over the northeast state after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a visit to the state and launched development projects.
Earlier this week, the Chinese defense ministry reiterated its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, terming the Indian State as as “Zangan- an inherent part of China’s territory,” saying, Beijing “never acknowledges and firmly opposes” the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India”.
“Zangnan is China’s inherent territory, and China never recognizes and firmly opposes India’s illegal establishment of the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’,” said spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang on March 15.
When questioned about the same, during a daily press briefing on Wednesday (local time), the State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Patel said, “The United States recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of actual Control.”
Time and again India has rejected China’s territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state is an integral and inalienable part of the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs in an official statement on Tuesday noted that the people of Arunachal Pradesh will “continue to benefit” from India’s development programmes and infrastructure projects.
“We have noted the comments made by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Defense Ministry advancing absurd claims over the territory of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. Repeating baseless arguments in this regard does not lend such claims any validity,” said the official spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal.
“Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Its people will continue to benefit from our development programmes and infrastructure projects,” the statement added.
