People-to-peopleRelations: AViewFromChina
Prime Minister Modi’s vision of finding common ground in religion, traditions and customs will dispel stereotypes and
have positive bearing on relations between the two Asian giants
he most significant aspect of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
visit to China inMay was the
way he used culture as a diplo-
matic tool to boost relations
with the host country. During his 3-day
visit, Modi not only attended several cul-
tural events, but also joinedWeibo, the
Chinese version of Twitter, to interact di-
rectly with Chinese citizens.While Modi’s
overtures were well received, there were
also many skeptics. Some were suspi-
cious of Modi’s intentions, and some
others were either disinterested or igno-
rant.With such diversified attitudes, it
seems that the people-to-people rela-
tions between China and India still have
a long way to go.
Xi’an – Chinese President Xi Jinping’s
hometown – was Modi’s first stop in
China. It’s not quite usual for Chinese
top leaders to meet foreign guests out-
side Beijing, but inModi’s case, an ex-
ception was made as a return
gesture – Xi visited Modi’s hometown in
Gujarat last September. Besides, Xi’an’s
Buddhist connection was also symbolic
of the cultural connection that Modi’s
was seeking.
In Xi’an, the joint appearance of the
two leaders attracted a huge, jubilant
throng, whose passion was so strong that
even the Indians were amazed by the
spectacle. One Indian Tweeted: “Chinese
are crazy about Modi!” However, the rea-
son why the event attracted such crowds
may be different. According to a re-
sponse on BBS Tiexue Net, an Internet
forum for people who are interested in
military affairs, people wanted to see not
Modi but President Xi, because it’s very
hard to see him in such close quarters in
a city like Xi’an. Another comment said
people just came along for a ride: “I bet
they don’t even know who Modi is.”
One of the most telling comments on
the forum that attracted considerable at-
tention was: “Assemblies or rallies of free
will are not allowed in China. Conse-
quently, the throng is definitely arranged
by the government.”
Modi’s focus on cultural exchange was
further demonstrated in the signing of 24
Agreements during this visit, which in-
cluded 9 that dealt with culture. Two of
themwhich related to yoga and spiritual
pursuit perfectly reflected Modi’s desire
to leverage ancient Indian physical and
spiritual regimen as a tool of diplomacy.
Yoga indeed sparked much interest
among the Chi-
nese. After lobby-
ing the United
Nations to declare
June 21 as the In-
ternational Yoga
Day, Modi also
posted a series of
Yoga tutorials on
Weibo. Though
some complained
about the English
subtitles of the instructive videos, which
they hoped could be in Chinese, most
seemed to like the tutorials.
Buddhism is another shared tradition
that could deepen Sino-Indian relations.
Buddhist tourism is a potential that India
has yet to realize. For instance, last year,
only 170,000 Buddhist tourists visited
India. Considering that China alone has
nearly 300 million Buddhists, the poten-
tial is limitless. The main concerns of
Chinese tourists about traveling in India
are the decrepit infrastructure and the
lack of security. To address them, Modi
has formulated a program named “Bud-
dhist Circuit” to improve the facilities of
all major Buddhist sites in India. Modi
also announced that he would grant e-
visas to Chinese tourists, much to the
surprise of Indian security and intelli-
gence agencies.
Yet, Chinese
themselves don’t
seem to be en-
thused by Modi’s
gesture, particu-
larly those who are
prejudiced against
India. “I don’t dare
to go to India. All
those rapes and vi-
olent assaults
scared me,” a commentator wrote in
Santaihu – a website, whose view is typi-
cal of general Chinese perception of
India. Some comments on the website
betrayed even greater contempt for
India: “I don’t care whatever the visa they
give us, I’ll never go to India anyway.” Of
course, there are others who don’t share
such negativity. “India is a beautiful
country, and not that chaotic as you
think it would be. The grant of e-visa will
make travel easier. As soon as I get
enough money I’ll set out for that coun-
try,” noted one netizen.
The only thing that really seems to
please the Chinese with regard to India is
Bollywood films. Salman Khan’s “P.K.” in
particular has impressed Chinese with
its sophisticated production values. A
blogger who watched the pirated copy of
the film, “P.K.” commented: “Though I
couldn’t understand a word of it, I was
still inspired by the charisma of this pow-
erful movie. The laughter is incessant,
and I’m deeply impressed.”
“P.K.” was a real blockbuster in China.
One film critic attributed its popularity
to the similarities between Chinese and
Indian cultures. He said that the story
line of the movie struck a chord with the
Chinese audience. The social issues it
dealt with were so much like the ones in
China, that it instantly became a senti-
mental bridge between the two coun-
tries, he said.
The high production qualities of “P.K.”
also revealed the relative low standards
of Chinese movies. “I’ve never imagined
that the contrast between Chinese and
Indian movies would be so great,” said
another film critic. “While Chinese are
still intoxicated with their conventional
idea that India is a backward country, it
is we who are lagging behind it,” he be-
moaned.
Like Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at
the Shanghai Academy of Social Sci-
ences, said, people in both China and
India lack the most basic understanding
of each other. It’s hard to imagine how
Sino-Indian ties would improve without
a deepening of people-to-people rela-
tions and dispelling of stereotypes. It is in
this context that Prime Minister Modi’s
vision of finding common ground in reli-
gion, traditions and customs will have
positive bearing on the relationship be-
tween Chinese and Indians.
T
Sabrina Sui
A Chinese 9th Grader
and Summer Intern
at News India Times
or Independence Day, when peo-
ple from different parts of the
country come together to cele-
brate the spirit of unity, try to
flaunt a different you by opting
for eye make-up in the tricolor.
Aakriti Kochar, make-up and beauty
expert of Oriflame India, has shared excit-
ing ways to flaunt the colors of the Indian
flag. Here’s how you can go about it:
* Look 1
- Prep your eyes with a little concealer
and powder it to bring out the colors and
make them stay longer without creasing
or smudging.
- Take matte orange eye shadow and
dab on the inner one-third part of the eye
lid. Make sure the quantity is enough to
brighten the orange tone.
- Next, dab matte green eye shadow on
the outer one-third portion of the eye lid,
going up till the crease. Blend the edges
on the crease; do not leave a harsh line.
- Add white eye shadow to the centre of
the eye lid. This completes the tricolor
flag, as well as highlights the centre of eye
lid, eventually making the eyes look big-
ger.
- Add some highlighter to the arch of
the eyebrow. Later, soften the edges of the
colors using a fluffy brush. This way, all
the colors will show gradual gradation.
- To add definition to the eyes, use eye-
liner and mascara. Defining the eyebrows
will complete the eye make-up -- use an
eyebrow pencil or a dark brown eye
shadow with an angular brush.
* Look 2:
- To carry the Indian flag in a different
style, wear the colors how you normally
wear eye make-up.
- Contour the eyes using a green/emer-
ald eye shadow softly blended all through
the crease.
- Add orange to the eye lid, perfectly
blending with the edges of green eye
shadow.
- Add a dash of the green eye shadow to
the lower eye lid.
- Add hints of white at the arch of the
eyebrow, inner corner of the eyes. This
helps brighten up the eyes and look bigger
as well.
- Apart from completing the tricolor
look; this also makes your eyes look bigger
and brighter.
- Define the eyes with an eye liner ex-
tend outwards to lift the eyes.
- Add eye kohl/ kajal to the water line
and finish with lots of mascara to the
lashes. Remember to always curl your
lashes before applying mascara for a bet-
ter finish.
- Groom your brows with an angular
brush using a dark brown eye shadow.
– IANS
I-DayLook: GiveYour EyesATricolor Twist
F
Opinion
News India Times
August 21, 2015
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