I never thought visiting my home after three years away could be so confusing and eye-opening.
After living in the third-best country in the world for expatriates, returning to the chaotic urban life of India was a challenge. I felt the depth of what I usually cite as a hurdle in India-Taiwan relations — cultural and behavioral differences.
Aside from grappling with my not so new surroundings, I also had to deal with a very genuine query — “Where is Taiwan?” — a question people stopped asking last month.
The question did not bother me as I might have expected, but answering it was not easy.
My mother has been asked the same question on various occasions. To my disappointment, she chooses the most unfortunate answer: China.
Her response is because it is easier for people to understand. Although a harmless explanation, it is most telling.
The same people probably also do not know where Thailand is, yet they would never bother to ask the question because popular culture has already come into play.
Taking a page out of my mother’s book, I found solace in another unfortunate answer: “It’s near Japan.”
With all my knowledge in hand, I still feel unequipped to respond.
Having lived in Taiwan, I consider it a responsibility to tell people about this gem of a place.
Indians often ask very elementary questions yet make contrary statements about Taiwan. I understand that not everyone can know Taiwan as profoundly as those who have visited or lived here, but many of my hometown folks feel very sure about its future with respect to China.
The advice I received during China’s military incursions around the nation were interesting. Everyone from grandfathers and uncles to my doctor and his assistant had an opinion.
Thanks to over-dramatized news reporting, the island was apparently attacked to the point of no return.
“You should not go back,” and “if you are going, come back as soon as possible,” some said.
“Live somewhere else. It is not safe,” said others, claiming that “China will attack.”
The straw that broke the camel’s back was: “Russia has already attacked Ukraine, and now China will attack Taiwan.”
The parallels with Hong Kong were also drawn by the avid consumers of television. The concern about my safety was so apparent that it even followed me to the airport. While checking my passport, an immigration officer calmly recommended that I reconsider traveling in such a turn of events.
Although disheartening, such conversations reflect a perspective. The majority of Indians are certain of China’s warmongering character.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has often been championed for keeping a bigger and stronger opponent on its toes.
However, winning a fight is a numbers game and many people are not so sure that the US would step in to support at the hour of need. The complexity of the Chinese threat to Taiwan is not within public knowledge.
Taiwan has found a new place in Indian news media for being at odds with China, taking the opportunity to highlight the goading it experiences on a daily basis.
However, people are not so sure of India’s role in the crisis. It is not seen as a consequential actor.
The state of world affairs is discouraging and overwhelming. Everyone wants to fight their own battles. As the celebrated anthropologist Jane Goodall said, any exercise to make a difference starts from home. It is time to genuinely talk about Taiwan.
Naina Singh is a researcher at the Graduate Institute of International Politics at National Chung Hsing University, Taichung.
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