The countdown has begun, and all eyes are on Beijing, China, as the Games are soon to begin.
The Chinese community in Mumbai is looking forward to the Beijing Olympics The countdown has begun, and all eyes are on Beijing, China, as the Games are soon to begin. It has been one of the more politically fraught Olympics the world has seen, but worldwide protests by the Tibetan community have done little to dampen the spirit of the games. And as the opening ceremony approaches, the 3,000-odd members of the Chinese community in Mumbai wait with bated breath.
Tulun Terence Cheng, chairman of the Maharashtra Chinese Association, says, “China has changed; it’s no longer a closed economy. The Chinese government is using the Olympics for publicity, so that the world’s perception of China also changes.”
The Indian Chinese are excited about the big event and few are even planning to go to Beijing as proud spectators. Restaurateur Nelson Wang, of China Garden fame, says, “We are very happy that China is hosting the Olympics. I really wanted to go to Beijing, but unfortunately I won’t be able to do so.”
But one wonders whether the Tibetan protests has put a damper on China’s dream. Cheng takes a magnanimous stance when he says: “I think everyone has a right to freedom, and to a certain extent the Tibetan protests is justified. The best way to end the Tibet issue is to have a government like the one China has in Hong Kong or Macau: One government, two systems. But I don’t think that the protests will create any problems for the Olympics.”
Over the last two years, China has gone all out to improve its infrastructure, especially in Shanghai and Beijing. Old shacks have been demolished; factories have been asked to shut shop a week before the games begin, all in an attempt to curb pollution; and special attention has been given to athletes.
Anthony Lee, who is studying in Mumbai, says, “I don’t think China changed because of the Olympics. Change has been part of the landscape for many years now. Look at Shanghai, the skyscrapers, as well as the architectural models of the buildings are a blend of the old and the new. The government is no longer rigid; even Indian students have started going to China to study the Chinese languages, culture, et al.”
And though the Chinese community is proud of their motherland, India is their home, now. There’s no going back. Says Wang: “Four generations of my family have lived in India. We are as much Indian as we are Chinese. We love it here, and though we may visit China, we always come back to India. This is the country where we were born and brought up in.”
IT professional, Kim Chen’s views echo Wang’s. She says, “I am more Indian than Chinese. I am happy that China is hosting the Olympics, but I will be ecstatic when it’s India’s turn.”
p_sugandha@dnaindia.net 
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