Latest news with #Chi
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Derek O'Brien writes: Unseeing the Northeast
'Even Ganesh idols come from abroad, small-eyed Ganesh idols whose eyes don't even open properly' — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, May 27. If the Prime Minister of India can propagate a hurtful stereotype against the 4.5 crore people living in Northeast India, are you surprised that fellow Indian citizens in the Northeast are labelled? Many have borne the brunt of racial prejudice and violence for decades. In 2014, the Bezbaruah Committee was formed after a teenage student from Arunachal Pradesh was assaulted and killed in Delhi. The Committee quoted a research report which found that nine out of 10 people from the Northeast faced racial discrimination in Indian metros. Another report quoted revealed that two out of three women from the Northeast frequently suffered various forms of discrimination. The most recent instance was the tragedy of the Meghalaya honeymoon which dominated news cycles till the heartbreaking catastrophe in Ahmedabad took over. Unsubstantiated facts and fabricated reports started doing the rounds on social media, running down a state which has so many natural gems: Elephant Falls, Umiam Lake, Double Decker Living Root Bridge, Mawsmai Cave and more. There was a concerted campaign to denigrate not just Meghalaya, but the whole of Northeast India. Vile messages, from targeting dietary habits to social customs, physical appearance to language, nothing was off bounds. There is little official data in the public domain to showcase the important role played by people from Northeast India, especially in the hospitality, aviation, and health sectors. Data from National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2020 suggests that one out of four women migrants from Northeastern India are engaged in the hospitality sector. Five years on, this figure might well be even higher. It also reveals that most are in jobs that are low-paid, informal, and devoid of social security benefits. I have an old connection and a special fondness for the Northeast. In 1991, I quit my job in advertising and started hosting quiz shows. During the first few years, these quizzes were held in cities across the Northeast: Guwahati, Shillong, Kohima, Imphal, Dimapur, and many more. These events were organised to promote a brand of instant noodles, which had a large market share in those parts. My professional fee for each show was Rs 2,500. Flights, trains, buses, mostly car rides — this was a beautiful opportunity to get to discover so much. To learn. To understand. To meet folks who were always welcoming. So it really stings to see people typecasting citizens from the Northeast. While writing this piece, I spoke to Tonshimla Leisan, a 30-year-old woman from Manipur, working as cabin crew in a reputed airline. Here is what she told me, 'A year ago, a group of youngsters kept looking at me and my mother in the Delhi Metro and kept laughing and I overheard them saying 'Chinese, Chi***es'. In the workplace, making a mockery of our unique names by our colleagues is another challenge we have to face. Many passengers motivate us for our hardworking and resilient nature, but others often try to put us down'. Two of the cabin crew members on Air India flight AI171, Lamnunthem Singson and Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, were from Manipur. Lamnunthem from the Kuki-Zo community, Kongbrailatpam from the Meitei community. It did not matter who was Kuki and who was Meitei. Manipur was united in grief. Bias and othering of residents of the Eight Sisters (states) increased manifold during the pandemic. A study by the Centre for Criminology and Victimology at the National Law University, Delhi, commissioned by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in 2021 on racial discrimination against people from the Northeast found that 'Northeast India seamlessly fits Indians' imagination of a Chinese person' and that they 'faced an increased number of acts of hate and prejudices against them'. In the recent past, Manipur was discussed twice in Parliament. Once, when opposition parties compelled the Union government to discuss the issue by moving a No Confidence Motion in 2023, and once, through the night in April 2025. Here is what Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, said on the floor of the House in April this year: 'President's Rule was imposed on 13 February 2025, zero violence in November, zero violence in December, zero violence in January, zero violence till 13 March and zero violence since then till today. So we should not try to create misconceptions.' Soon before the Home Minister spoke, here is what your columnist said in the Rajya Sabha: '3,80,000 kilometres. In the last 22 months, it is the distance the Prime Minister of India has travelled nationally and internationally. That is also the distance from Planet Earth to the Moon! But the Prime Minister could not take a flight to Manipur, just 2,400 kilometres away. We are discussing this in Parliament in the dead of night — at three in the morning. No TV channels, no prime time. Look at Manipur straight in the eye during the day.' The writer is MP and leader, All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party (Rajya Sabha). Additional research: Ayashman Dey
Qatar Tribune
18 hours ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Vietnam cracks down on fake goods as United States tariffs loom
Agencies Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly hard to track down her favorite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. As Vietnam's government tries to head off President Donald Trump's threatened 46 percent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products - in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City - the kind of places Chi used to go to buy her latest gear. 'The clothes help me look trendy,' Chi told AFP. 'Why would I care if they are fake or not?' Chi - a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw - said she had never paid more than $40 per 'designer' item. 'Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones,' she added. 'They're not for people like us.' Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the United States its number-one export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewelry and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said 'low penalties have had little deterrent effect' and 'counterfeit products remain rampant'. Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China - but tagged with a 'Made in Vietnam' label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they're getting. 'My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products,' Hoa said. 'I've never cheated anyone.' Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 percent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's trade ministry ordered authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs. The public security ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown - until mid-August - on counterfeit goods. Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the agency for domestic market surveillance and development, said last week that in the first five months of the year, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than $8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets - seemingly also counterfeits - have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated.
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Vietnam cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
HANOI: Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly hard to track down her favorite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. As Vietnam's government tries to head off President Donald Trump's threatened 46 percent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products - in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City - the kind of places Chi used to go to buy her latest gear. 'The clothes help me look trendy,' Chi told AFP. 'Why would I care if they are fake or not?' Chi - a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw - said she had never paid more than $40 per 'designer' item. 'Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones,' she added. 'They're not for people like us.' Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the United States its number-one export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewelry and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said 'low penalties have had little deterrent effect' and 'counterfeit products remain rampant'. Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China - but tagged with a 'Made in Vietnam' label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they're getting. 'My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products,' Hoa said. 'I've never cheated anyone.' Rolex watches, Marshall speakers Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 percent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's trade ministry ordered authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs. The public security ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown - until mid-August - on counterfeit goods. Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the agency for domestic market surveillance and development, said last week that in the first five months of the year, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than $8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets - seemingly also counterfeits - have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was Southeast Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of $161.9 billion. Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although there were other aims of the drive, including improving Vietnam's business environment and formalizing the retail sector, 'the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US'. 'The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns,' he said. But for Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. 'I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue,' she said.- AFP
Fashion Network
2 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
Home › News › Industry Download Print Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly hard to track down her favourite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. AFP As Vietnam's government tries to head off President Donald Trump's threatened 46 percent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products -- in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City -- the kind of places Chi used to go to buy her latest gear. "The clothes help me look trendy," Chi told AFP. "Why would I care if they are fake or not?"Chi -- a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw -- said she had never paid more than $40 per "designer" item. "Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones," she added. "They're not for people like us." Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the United States its number-one export market in the first five months of it also has a thriving market for counterfeit a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewellery and report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said "low penalties have had little deterrent effect" and "counterfeit products remain rampant". Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China -- but tagged with a "Made in Vietnam" label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they're getting."My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products," Hoa said. "I've never cheated anyone."Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 percent tariff that could come into force in early trade ministry ordered authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around public security ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown -- until mid-August -- on counterfeit Thanh Nam, deputy head of the agency for domestic market surveillance and development, said last week that in the first five months of the year, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than $8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets -- seemingly also counterfeits -- have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was Southeast Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of $161.9 billion. Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although there were other aims of the drive, including improving Vietnam's business environment and formalising the retail sector, "the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US"."The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns," he for Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. "I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue," she said. Copyright © 2025 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses. Fashion Jobs : CHANEL GUCCI LOUIS VUITTON
Fashion Network
2 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly hard to track down her favourite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. As Vietnam's government tries to head off President Donald Trump 's threatened 46 percent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products -- in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City -- the kind of places Chi used to go to buy her latest gear. "The clothes help me look trendy," Chi told AFP. "Why would I care if they are fake or not?" Chi -- a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw -- said she had never paid more than $40 per "designer" item. " Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones," she added. "They're not for people like us." Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the United States its number-one export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewellery and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said "low penalties have had little deterrent effect" and "counterfeit products remain rampant". Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China -- but tagged with a "Made in Vietnam" label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they're getting. "My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products," Hoa said. "I've never cheated anyone." Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 percent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's trade ministry ordered authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs. The public security ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown -- until mid-August -- on counterfeit goods. Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the agency for domestic market surveillance and development, said last week that in the first five months of the year, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than $8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets -- seemingly also counterfeits -- have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was Southeast Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of $161.9 billion. Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although there were other aims of the drive, including improving Vietnam's business environment and formalising the retail sector, "the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US". "The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns," he said. But for Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. "I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue," she said.
