What average Indians first hand accounts of living in China, How many of those who badmouth China in this forum ever lived in China?
In the dragon’s den: Indians in China on what life is like in the country amid a stand-off between two nations
By
Suktara Ghosh / Updated: Jun 28, 2020, 11:26 IST
While the border remains tense, Mirror speaks to a few Indians based in China to know what life is like in the country at a time when ties between the two nations are plumbing a new low.
Suranjana Roy Bhattacharya, 49
Shanghai
“My husband came to Shanghai for a four-year assignment in 2008, and when it was time to return, he changed jobs so we could stay on. That’s how much we like this place,” says Bhattacharya, who’s from Kolkata.
It’s an Asian country with first world infrastructure, “so you get the best of both worlds,”says the journalist-turnedfreelance writer. “You can’t imagine the construction activities and upgrading that go on. Buildings to buses, everything looks new. It’s also very green.” There’s an upbeat vibe in cities as well as the interiors of the country, and there is little visible disparity of wealth. “I love how old people spontaneously put on music and break into a dance on the streets or do Tai Chi.”
The state, she says, plans extensively to help the most vulnerable. “For instance, post pandemic, there have been micro-specific policy actions to help businesses recover. Taxes are being restructured in such a way that people get actual monetary relief. It’s one of the major reasons why China has turned around so fast.”
While Bhattacharya hasn’t experienced any anti-India sentiment, she has observed a particular bias towards white people, “which sometimes translates to prejudice against black people”.
Amit Waikar, 44
Shanghai
The vice-president of Döhler Group has clocked a decade in China with his family and even turned down an opportunity to move to the US. “It was a bit of a shock for my boss,” says Waikar, who received the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award from President Ram Nath Kovind last year. The son of an Army doctor, he admits he initially had doubts about what his father referred to as “dushman desh” (enemy country). But his opinions were quickly revised. “They are an extremely hardworking and sincere people. My domestic help hasn’t been absent or even late once in 10 years,” he shares.
Also, most importantly, there’s a clear line between politics and business. “This is what defines the Chinese. For them, business is god,” says Waikar, who hails from Nagpur. “Their strongest political opponents — Japan, Taiwan and the US — are also their biggest business partners. Once you recognise and respect this, dealing with them becomes uncomplicated. And like us, they value connections a lot.”
There’s no hostility when it comes to India, either. “It’s not enforced. People in mainland China don’t know about the 1960s aggression, and there’s barely any mention of the current stand-off in the mainstream media.” Waikar and his wife, Aparna, especially appreciate the respectful attitude towards women. “I see smartly dressed young women managing toll booths on highways at 3 am and they have nothing to fear. It makes me wonder when we’ll have that in India,” he says.
Dr Deepak Hegde , 50
Shanghai
The chief technology officer with EOC Pharma has been working in the pharmaceutical research sector in China since 2007. “The country has a very strong indigenous new drug research sector, thanks to its policies on innovation, patents and incentives,” says Deepak Hegde, who’s from Thane. “Biotechnology is one of the key strategic areas for the government, and they have projects locked down for at least the next 10 years.”
Concerns over strained international relations post the Covid outbreak haven’t slowed them down. “Here, the backlash is widely seen as political because of the stand-off with the US. But there’s no negativity in the scientific field. Three Covid-19 vaccines are already in phase III of development,” says Hegde, adding that the levels of Chinese professionalism and civility never fail to amaze him. “As Indians, my family and I have never experienced hostility during political tensions between the countries. People are always respectful and welcoming.”
Hegde adds that the Chinese government’s systematic handling of the lockdown has been exemplary. “Remember, the pandemic struck here in the end of January during the Chinese New Year, when millions travel across the country,” he points out.
“Despite the mass migration, the government managed to control it with the help of infrastructure, technology and the application of artificial intelligence. The 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan was built in 10 days. Medical insurance is provided by the state, and the quality of healthcare at government hospitals is comparable to India’s best private hospitals.”
Anuja Dorle, 43
Shanghai
The education system in China is as robust as it gets, says Dorle, who holds an administrative position at the Shanghai American School. In a cosmopolitan city like Shanghai, there are many international schools catering to different syllabi. Local schools are either bilingual or instruct in Chinese. “Public school education is excellent. The standard of education at even ordinary public schools is high,” says Dorle, who moved to China from the US in 2010, as her husband, Samir’s job took him there.
Diversity and inclusion is managed through policies. “Organisations, schools and colleges included, have regulations to filter out racism and genderrelated biases,” says Dorle, who hails from Aurangabad. Schools strive to have a 50-50 ratio and the education about equal treatment percolates into daily life as well. “As a woman, you never feel unsafe.”
The warm-heartedness of the people made Dorle feel quite at home, even before she picked up what she calls “survival Chinese” — basic linguistic skills. “When people spot my mother or mother-inlaw in saris, they make an effort to interact, despite the language barrier, sometimes even take a picture,” she says. “There’s special respect for Indians because Buddhism is widely followed, and the Buddha hails from India."
AK Raj, 54
Shanghai
AK Raj
The ex-banker from Borivali has been living in Shanghai with four generations of his family — his mother and grandson live there, too — since 2013. And he is all praise for the civic governance machinery. “I don’t have to complain about clogged drains or waterlogged roads. Everything from healthcare to education to transport runs like clockwork,” he says.
Raj says that contrary to popular belief, he has seen little sign of corruption. “I worked in the finance sector and I didn’t come across it. The police don’t harass you, cabbies don’t overcharge… A taxi company, we once used, even returned a lost passport and refused to take any money as reward,” he shares.
Politics, however, is off limits. “As long as you don’t talk about or criticise the government, foreigners are very welcome. The locals too, feel they need not worry their head about politics — it can be handled by the leaders in Beijing,” he says. “People here seem happy to work for the Communist government. And, unlike in India, they don’t spend hundreds of millions on elections.”
Varun Hadkar , 34
Beijing
Varun Hadkar, who has a home in Juhu, believes that since his move to Beijing in 2015, the Chinese has shown him how to attain perfection at work. “They have a single-minded focus and aim to do the best job possible,” he says, and adds with a laugh, “they don’t have the Indian talent for jugaad though.”
Hadkar, who works with an organisation that focuses on the production and post-production of movies and web shows, is seeing a transformation in Chinese cinema. “Romantic dramas and mythological and historical films are very popular. Indian films are too: 3 Idiots, Dangal and Andhadhun were blockbusters, and most cab drivers know at least a couple of Bollywood songs,” he says. “But now Chinese movies are exploring off-beat genres, especially science fiction. The production value of their films matches that of Hollywood films.”
The pandemic has brought the business to the cusp of a huge change. Movies are not only finding their way to OTT platforms but to TikTok as well — Xu Zheng’s Lost in Russia has become a sensation on the platform. “The government has announced tax rebates, which really help us,” says Hadkar, adding that he feels Beijing — and China, in general — handled the pandemic very well. “There was a total lockdown and every time you went out of the building, you had to scan a QR code and get your temperature checked.”
Hadkar loves his life in Beijing and says that people open up very readily if one is conversant in Chinese.
“The young generation is making an effort to learn English, but older people, too, will try to communicate if you know the language even a little. Like Indians, they are a family-oriented people, so I’m always being invited to dinners, parties and weddings.”
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