The Birth of Khadi

I do not remember to have seen a handloom or a spinning wheel till the year 1908, when in Hind Swaraj, I described it as the panacea for the growing pauperism of India. In that book I took it as understood, that anything that helped India to get rid of the grinding poverty of her masses would in the same process also establish Swaraj. Even in 1915, when I returned to India from South Africa, I had not actually seen a spinning wheel. When the Satyagraha Ashram was founded at Sabarmati, we introduced a few handlooms there. But no sooner had we done this, than we found ourselves up against a difficulty. All of us belonged either to the liberal professions or to business; not one of us was an artisan. We needed a weaving expert to teach us to weave before we could work the looms. One was at last procured from Palanpur, but he did not communicate to us the whole of his art. But Maganlal Gandhi was not one to be easily baffled. Possessed of a natural talent for mechanics he was able fully to master the art before long, and one after another several new weavers were trained up in the Ashram.

I do not remember seeing a handloom or a spinning wheel before 1908. That year, in Hind Swaraj, I described the spinning wheel as the cure for India’s growing poverty. In that book, I assumed that anything that helped India end the crushing poverty of its masses would also establish Swaraj. Even in 1915, when I returned to India from South Africa, I had not actually seen a spinning wheel. When the Satyagraha Ashram was founded at Sabarmati, we introduced a few handlooms there. But as soon as we did so, we ran into a difficulty. All of us were either professionals or businesspeople. Not one of us was an artisan. We needed an expert to teach us to weave before we could use the looms. We finally found one from Palanpur, but he did not teach us everything he knew. Maganlal Gandhi, however, was not easily discouraged. He had a natural talent for mechanics and soon mastered the craft. One after another, several new weavers were trained at the Ashram.

The object that we set before ourselves was to be able to clothe ourselves entirely in cloth manufactured by our own hands. We therefore forthwith discarded the use of mill-woven cloth, and all the members of the Ashram resolved to wear hand-woven cloth made from Indian yarn only. The adoption of this practice brought us a world of experience. It enabled us to know, from direct contact, the conditions of life among the weavers, the extent of their production, the handicaps in the way of their obtaining their yarn supply, the way in which they were being made victims of fraud, and lastly, their ever growing indebtedness. We were not in a position immediately to manufacture all the cloth for our needs. The alternative therefore was to get our cloth supply from handloom weavers. But ready-made cloth from Indian mill-yarn was not easily obtainable either from the cloth-dealers or from the weavers themselves. All the fine cloth woven by the weavers was from foreign yarn, since Indian mills did not spin fine counts. Even today the outturn of higher counts by Indian mills is very limited, whilst highest counts they cannot spin at all. It was after the greatest effort, that we were at last able to find some weavers, who condescended to weave Swadeshi yarn for us, and only on condition that the Ashram would take off all the cloth that they might produce. By thus adopting cloth woven from mill-yarn as our wear, and propagating it among our friends, we made ourselves voluntary agents of the Indian spinning mills. This in its turn brought us into contact with the mills, and enabled us to know something about their management and their handicaps. We saw that the aim of the mills was more and more to weave the yarn spun by them; their co-operation with the handloom weaver was not willing, but unavoidable and temporary. We became impatient to be able to spin our own yarn. It was clear, that till we could do this ourselves, dependence on the mills would remain. We did not feel that we could render any service to the country by continuing as agents of Indian spinning mills.

Our goal was to clothe ourselves entirely in cloth made by our own hands. So we immediately stopped using mill-woven cloth. All the members of the Ashram resolved to wear hand-woven cloth made only from Indian yarn. This practice taught us a great deal. Through direct contact with weavers, we learned about their living conditions and how much they produced. We learned about the difficulties they faced in obtaining yarn, how they were cheated, and their ever-growing debt. We could not immediately make all the cloth we needed. So we had to get our supply from handloom weavers. But ready-made cloth from Indian mill yarn was not easy to obtain, either from cloth dealers or from the weavers themselves. All the fine cloth the weavers made came from foreign yarn, because Indian mills did not spin fine yarn. Even today, Indian mills produce very little fine yarn, and they cannot spin the finest yarn at all. Only after great effort did we finally find some weavers who were willing to weave Swadeshi yarn for us. Even then, they agreed only on condition that the Ashram would buy all the cloth they produced. By wearing cloth woven from mill yarn and encouraging our friends to do the same, we became voluntary agents of the Indian spinning mills. This brought us into contact with the mills and helped us learn something about their management and difficulties. We saw that the mills aimed to weave more and more of the yarn they spun. Their cooperation with handloom weavers was not willing, but unavoidable and temporary. We grew impatient to spin our own yarn. It was clear that we would remain dependent on the mills until we could do so ourselves. We did not feel that we could serve the country by continuing as agents of Indian spinning mills.

No end of difficulties again faced us. We could neither get a spinning wheel nor a spinner to teach us how to spin. We were employing some wheels for filling pearns and bobbins for weaving in the Ashram. But we had no idea, that these could be used as spinning wheels. Once Kalidas Jhaveri discovered a woman who, he said, would demonstrate to us how spinning was done. We sent to her a member of the Ashram who was known for his great versatility in learning new things. But even he returned without wresting the secret of the art.

Once again, we faced endless difficulties. We could not find a spinning wheel or a spinner to teach us how to spin. At the Ashram, we used some wheels to fill pirns and bobbins for weaving. But we had no idea that these wheels could also be used for spinning. Once, Kalidas Jhaveri found a woman who, he said, would show us how to spin. We sent an Ashram member to her who was known for being very quick to learn new things. But even he returned without learning the secret of the craft.

So the time passed on, and my impatience grew with the time. I plied every chance visitor to the Ashram, who was likely to possess some information about handspinning, with questions about the art. But the art being confined to women and having been all but exterminated, if there was some stray spinner still surviving in some obscure corner, only a member of that sex was likely to find out her whereabouts.

As time passed, I grew more impatient. I questioned every visitor to the Ashram who might know something about handspinning. But the craft was practiced only by women and had nearly died out. If a spinner still survived in some obscure corner, only another woman was likely to find her.

In the year 1917 I was taken by my Gujarati friends to preside at the Broach Educational Conference. It was here, that I discovered that remarkable lady Gangabehn Majmundar. She was a widow, but her enterprising spirit knew no bounds. Her education, in the accepted sense of the term, was not much. But in courage and commonsense she easily surpassed the general run of our educated women. She had already got rid of the curse of untouchability, and fearlessly moved among and served the suppressed classes. She had means of her own, and her needs were few. She had a well seasoned constitution, and went about everywhere without an escort. She felt quite at home on horseback. I came to know her more intimately at the Godhra Conference. To her I poured out my grief about the charkha, and she lightened my burden by a promise to prosecute an earnest and incessant search for the spinning wheel.

In 1917, my Gujarati friends took me to preside over the Broach Educational Conference. There I discovered the remarkable Gangabehn Majmundar. She was a widow, but her enterprising spirit knew no bounds. She had little formal education. But her courage and common sense easily surpassed those of most educated women of her time. She had already cast off the curse of untouchability. She fearlessly moved among and served the oppressed classes. She had money of her own and few needs. She was hardy and went everywhere without an escort. She was quite comfortable on horseback. I got to know her better at the Godhra Conference. I told her all about my distress over the charkha. She eased my burden by promising to search earnestly and tirelessly for the spinning wheel.