Maha rural artisans weave Gandhi’s dream into khadi

MUMBAI: Republic Day, like other national days, may have been reduced to tokenism in public life, but an army of rural artisans keeps the spirit of nationalism alive every day. Clusters of weavers across India are living Mahatma Gandhi's ideal through handspun, handwoven khadi. Gandhians say Bapu used the charkha as a weapon to drive the British out of India.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) coordinates the manufacture and sale of khadi products. "The skill of India's weavers is part of folklore. They crafted such fine muslin saris that six yards of fabric neatly fit into a matchbox when it was folded," says a KVIC official. "The British invaders cut off their arms so that the East India Company could import cloth from England and take over the vast consumer market in India. It was then that Mahatma Gandhi gave the call to adopt Swadeshi cloth. He spun khadi on the charkha to ensure employment for local artisans. To this day, mechanization is taboo for us."

The award-winning Marathwada Khadi Gramodyog unit achieves an annual turnover of Rs 2.25 crore. Headquartered in Nanded, this is one of the largest manufacturers of the national flag. "We employ 500 weavers' families, and most are women. They use twisted yarn to make khadi from locally sourced material," says Gandhian Ishwar Bhosekar (78)who helms the unit.

Marathwada supplies the tricolour within Maharashtra as well as to Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The flags conform to BIS specifications. "Khadi by its nature is long-lasting and does not fade. Our kurtas are popular because they keep the body cool during summer and warm during winter. People buy our dhotis, designer shawls because we use natural yarn that does not irritate the skin," Bhosekar says. Old-time Gandhians, however, feel the authorities could do more to promote Bapu's best loved project. For the past 50 years, Meghshyam Ajgaonkar, the executive secretary of Mani Bhavan, has been wearing only khadi. He rues the fact that Maharashtra has stopped giving the customary 20% rebate where Kerala and Bihar offer 25%-35% off.

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