Shun goods from China, enact ‘Buy Indian Act’: SJM

needs to emulate the Buy American Act,1933, which gives preference to Us-made products in government procurement, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) said.

The economic wing of the RSS wants India to cut down its dependence on exports from other countries — particularly China.

“The Buy American Act applies to all US federal government agency purchases and states that all goods for public use must be produced in the US, manufactured items must be made from indigenous materials. India must have a similar law,” Ashwani Mahajan, national convenor of the SJM, told HT.

The body has initiated a yearlong campaign to create awareness on how Chinese goods adversely impact domestic production, and push the government to rethink its trade policy.

“A committee of secretaries has made a recommendation to the Centre to give preference to indigenous products. Hopefully, the government will soon announce such a policy,” he said.

The SJM has in the past campaigned against the use of Chinese goods, particularly firecrackers. Ahead of Diwali, when the use of crackers goes up exponentially, the body ran campaigns asking people to buy Indian products.

It has also taken on the government for throwing open sectors such as civil aviation, defence, food processing and pharmaceuticals to foreign direct investment.