Today I went to buy fingerless gloves for my mother in law. I couldn’t find a single one. They said at the shops that the stock comes only in winter. Then I thought of buying a purse for her and bought a nice small pink pouch for £7. There were many attractive purses but they were beyond my budget. Still I searched through them, to admire the delicate embroidery and lace work done on them. And what I found. They all bore the tags Made In India.

This has happened once before, when I was in London. I went to Primark and selected a jacket for my brother in law, and then fortunately I happened to look at the label which had the same Made in India insignia. I had to leave the jacket at the counter. I couldn’t possibly take a Made in India jacket back to India! Nobody will value such a gift. Everybody expects to get an mported gift, not a Desi one. What a shame. We make so many remarkable products which are exported to other countries and still we give importance to every worthless thing which has a tag Imported on it. The mall culture has brought with it all the commodities that could be found in the world, and we still harp for Phoren goods.