After the Modi government’s encirclement of China at the global level, the Sangh Parivar has also launched a campaign against Chinese products on the domestic front. And with the festival of rakhi round the corner, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has formulated a big strategy – by taking cue from PM Narendra Modi’s “vocal for local” call — to indigenous rakhis to sell them at cheaper rates, in order to counter the Chinese rakhis.
The VHP has assigned the task of making rakhis to the workers of its women organisation — Durga Vahini. According to Vagish Issar, executive president of VHP’s Delhi province, Durga Vahini, “Rakhi symbolises the love of brothers and sisters, so the sisters of Durga Vahini will be making indigenous rakhis on a large scale. While this decision will strengthen the self-reliant scheme, it will also benefit the country’s economy under the Swadeshi Abhiyan.”
Right now about 120 women workers of Durga Vahini are engaged in making these rakhis and so far, more than 10,000 rakhis have been made. Under the campaign to boycott all Chinese products, the VHP has also appealed to the common people as well as shopkeepers and retailers not to sell Chinese rachis and instead sell indigenous rakhis.
The VHP plans that these indigenous Rakhis will be kept not only in shops but also for online sale. And their price will also be kept very low — between Rs 5 and Rs 7. The VHP wants other social organisations to come forward for the manufacture of such indigenous products.