'The Movement Of Khadi'

India has always been a very textile centric society, right from the Harappan Civilization. One of the most significant revolts during the freedom struggle was the Khadi movement, led by Gandhi. It played a very important role in shaping the socio-economic environment of the country at that time. It came to be an identity for the Indian people during the British rule, and hence turned into an integral part of the movement. The word ‘Khadi’ in itself became a persona. It embodied the sentiments of the people and gave a very strong statement of boycotting the use of any foreign goods. It promoted the ideology of being a self reliant and self employed Indian. Being responsible for producing your garments- right from hand spinning the yarn to converting it into a piece of fabric. I believe that everything has multiple implications, each changing in context to its time and surroundings. During Independence Khadi symbolized the a new Indian society which fought against oppression and strived to be self sufficient. Then came the politicians, who are most commonly distinguished by the garments they wear- made of Khadi. For them it was an extension of their cause and what they stood for. It is what makes them 100% Indian and approachable by the public. Another trend that brought back Khadi during the 80’s was that of the young generation artists. Khadi kurtas and Jholas very the telling signs. This use of Khadi slowly disappearing with the new generation artists and designers of today. Another use of Khadi that bears the tests of time is it being used for the National Flag. This preserves the original message and serves as a reminder till this day.
The use of Khadi has changed over time but it has always voiced a very strong message- that of being self reliant and self sufficient. In our last class we read a text on the Buddhist Economy. At the end of the class we all came to the same conclusion that the ideologies of the Buddhist economists were very similar to the ideologies of the Khadi movement. According to the Buddhists, the function of work was divided into three segments– “ to give man a chance to utilize and develop his faculties, to overcome his ego centeredness and to bring forth goods and services.” The Buddhist economy didn’t aim at the end product, but at the means to reach the end. The means ensured that, one was faithful and truthful about his/her work. ‘Simplicity’ was one of their primary mottos because they believed in a simple way of living and doing work without being worried about the end result. The only difference in the two ideologies was that the Buddhists barred the women from working as they believed women were were meant to take care of the household while the Khadi movement, encouraged women to work and seek employed so that they too could be a major part of the movement.