The dilemma of being a 'Swadeshi'

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It was somewhere in November 2017.

It was the eve of Haloween.

Some kids from our apartment situated in the IT hub of Bangalore, were getting ready all dressed up as monsters and witches to go around and knock the doors playing ‘trick or treat’.

Earlier in the evening the parents flocked to the nearby shop to stock varieties of candies so that they had something to dole out when the kids came knocking for ‘Trick or treat’.

 Our neighbourhood ‘ kirana’ store was run by a middle aged man who never really understood what this American ‘Trick or treat’ was all about.  That evening all the stock of cadbury's chocolates - perk, five star and even Ferrero Rocher was sold out. Many parents were walking away after enquiring, possibly to explore stocks of candies in yet another neighbourhood 'Kirana' store.  

Massively irritated, he decided to push his ‘Swadeshi’ agenda thus to a bunch of US born kids and their US returned parents.




 

Retrieved from Google photos.  Pic taken November 2017.

 

Flash forward to 2025…

There has been no better time for the citizens of the world to realize that there is less effort, less cost, less energy and less carbon foot print dissipated in embracing what is produced locally.   

There is more efficiency and a more sustainable circular economy put into action when we displace resources, material, effort and people as minimally as possible.

 ‘Vocal for local’ … says the sticker in the rear windshield of my car.

As much as I am happy with the branding that went and the intent of the manufacturer of my car, I am not sure how local it is.

If we really tear it apart to bits and pieces we have traversed a long way and it is not going easy to be completely local in this increasingly globalized world.  

The entangled web of global supply chain is so complex that if we really dissected anything apart just about everything that we use or consume has some tiny part, some patented idea, some patented innovation if not some brand ownership that has originated from someplace far away. 

The laptop that I type this post in, the key board that I use, the components that keep it running …

Ah … but the  journey of thousand miles has to begin somewhere.

What better day than to commit to ‘Swadeshi’ on October 2nd – to mark the birthday of that wise man who made ‘Swadeshi’ cool almost a century ago.

Then things changed and how. After an entire generation has passed by, taking pride in showing off ‘imported goods’  a new generation has emerged that takes pride to show off and embrace what is produced locally.

It was in 1955 this hit song from Shri 420 made Raj Kapoor the evergreen showman of the Bollywood.

Mera joota hai jaapani

Patloom englistani

Sar ki lal topi Roosi

Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani   

 

That Hindustani ‘dil’ has now come a full circle.

 Here is a new breed of Indian billionaire taking pride and being ‘Vocal for local’  

 


https://x.com/svembu/status/1487767969904009216   

 

P:S : I downloaded the Arattai  app by Zoho in the effort to embrace ‘Swadeshi’ on this day – 2nd October 2025.

But I need it to be embraced by all my near and dear ones as well as those not so near and dear for a wide spread usage and adoption before it becomes my go to app and that is not going to be easy.

Till then I will straddle between ‘Arattai’ and ‘Whatsapp’ , ‘Flipkart’ and ‘Amazon’ , ‘Google meet’ and ’ Zoho meet’ and commit myself to remain a pseudo Swadeshi.

 

 

 

  

 

     

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