A Conversation With a Lesson

From its very inception the Khadi movement, Swadeshi movement as it was then called, evoked much criticism from the mill-owners. The late Umar Sobani, a capable mill-owner himself, not only gave me the benefit of his own knowledge and experience, but kept me in touch with the opinion of the other mill-owners as well. The argument advanced by one of these deeply impressed him. He pressed me to meet him. I agreed. Mr. Sobani arranged the interview. The mill-owner opened the conversation.

From the beginning, the Khadi movement, then called the Swadeshi movement, drew much criticism from mill owners. The late Umar Sobani, a skilled mill owner himself, shared his knowledge and experience with me. He also kept me informed of the other mill owners' opinions. An argument made by one of them deeply impressed him. He urged me to meet that mill owner, and I agreed. Mr. Sobani arranged the meeting. The mill owner began the conversation.

‘You know that there has been Swadeshi agitation before now?’

‘You know there have been Swadeshi protests before?’

‘Yes, I do,’ I replied.

‘Yes, I do,’ I replied.

‘You are also aware that in the days of the Partition we, the mill owners, fully exploited the Swadeshi movement. When it was at its height, we raised the prices of cloth, and did even worse things.’

‘You also know that during the Partition, we mill owners fully exploited the Swadeshi movement. At the movement’s height, we raised cloth prices and did even worse things.’

‘Yes, I have heard something about it, and it has grieved me.’

‘Yes, I have heard something about it, and it has made me sad.’

‘I can understand your grief, but I can see no ground for it. We are not conducting our business out of philanthropy. We do it for profit, we have got to satisfy the shareholders. The price of an article is governed by the demand for it. Who can check the law of demand and supply? The Bengalis should have known, that their agitation was bound to send up the price of Swadeshi cloth by stimulating the demand for it.’

‘I understand your distress, but I see no reason for it. We are not running our business as a charity. We run it for profit, and we have to satisfy the shareholders. The price of a product depends on the demand for it. Who can stop the law of supply and demand? The Bengalis should have known that their agitation would increase demand for Swadeshi cloth and drive up its price.’

I interrupted: ‘The Bengalis like me were trustful in their nature. They believed, in the fulness of their faith, that the mill-owners would not be so utterly selfish and unpatriotic as to betray their country in the hour of its need, and even to go the length, as they did, of fraudulently passing off foreign cloth as Swadeshi.’

I interrupted: ‘Bengalis like me were trusting by nature. We had complete faith that the mill owners would not be so selfish and unpatriotic as to betray their country in its hour of need. We did not believe they would go so far as to fraudulently sell foreign cloth as Swadeshi, as they did.’

‘I knew your believing nature,’ he rejoined; ‘that is why I put you to the trouble of coming to me, so that I might warn you against falling into the same error as these simple-hearted Bengalis.’

‘I knew how trusting you are,’ he replied. ‘That is why I asked you to come, though it was a trouble for you. I wanted to warn you against making the same mistake as these trusting Bengalis.’

With these words the mill-owner beckoned to his clerk who was standing by to produce samples of the stuff that was being manufactured in his mill. Pointing to it he said: ‘Look at this stuff. This is the latest variety turned out by our mill. It is meeting with a widespread demand. We manufacture it from the waste. Naturally, therefore, it is cheap. We send it as far North as the valleys of the Himalayas. We have agencies all over the country, even in places where your voice or your agents can never reach. You can thus see that we do not stand in need of more agents. Besides, you ought to know that India’s production of cloth falls far short of its requirements. The question of Swadeshi, therefore, largely resolves itself into one of production. The moment we can increase our production sufficiently, and improve its quality to the necessary extent, the import of foreign cloth will automatically cease. My advice to you, therefore, is not to carry on your agitation on its present lines, but to turn your attention to the erection of fresh mills. What we need is not propaganda to inflate demand for our goods, but greater production.’

With these words, the mill-owner gestured to his clerk, who was standing nearby, to bring samples of the cloth his mill made. Pointing to the samples, he said: ‘Look at this cloth. It is the latest variety made by our mill, and it is in great demand. We make it from waste, so naturally it is cheap. We send it as far north as the valleys of the Himalayas. We have agencies all over the country, even in places that neither your voice nor your agents can ever reach. So you can see that we do not need more agents. Besides, you should know that India produces far less cloth than it needs. The question of Swadeshi, therefore, is largely a question of production. As soon as we produce enough cloth and improve its quality as much as necessary, imports of foreign cloth will automatically stop. So my advice is not to continue your campaign as you are doing now, but to focus on building new mills. What we need is not propaganda to increase demand for our goods, but greater production.’

‘Then, surely, you will bless my effort, if I am already engaged in that very thing,’ I asked.

‘Then surely you will bless my effort if I am already doing that very thing,’ I asked.

‘How can that be?’ he exclaimed, a bit puzzled, ‘but may be, you are thinking of promoting the establishment of new mills, in which case you certainly deserve to be congratulated.’

‘How can that be?’ he exclaimed, a little puzzled. ‘But perhaps you’re thinking of helping to establish new mills. If so, you certainly deserve congratulations.’

‘I am not doing exactly that,’ I explained, ‘but I am engaged in the revival of the spinning wheel.’

‘I am not doing exactly that,’ I explained, ‘but I am working to bring back the spinning wheel.’

‘What is that?’ he asked, feeling still more at sea. I told him all about the spinning wheel, and the story of my long quest after it, and added, ‘I am entirely of your opinion; it is no use my becoming virtually an agent for the mills. That would do more harm than good to the country. Our mills will not be in want of custom for a long time to come. My work should be, and therefore is, to organise the production of handspun cloth, and to find means for the disposal of the Khadi thus produced. I am, therefore, concentrating my attention on the production of Khadi. I swear by this form of Swadeshi, because through it I can provide work to the semi-starved, semi-employed women of India. My idea is to get these women to spin yarn, and to clothe the people of India with Khadi woven out of it. I do not know how far this movement is going to succeed, at present it is only in the incipient stage. But I have full faith in it. At any rate it can do no harm. On the contrary to the extent that it can add to the cloth production of the country, be it ever so small, it will represent so much solid gain. You will thus perceive, then, that my movement is free from the evils mentioned by you.’

‘What is that?’ he asked, even more confused. I told him all about the spinning wheel and my long search for it. I added, ‘I completely agree with you. There is no point in my becoming, in effect, an agent for the mills. That would do the country more harm than good. Our mills will have plenty of customers for a long time to come. My work should be, and therefore is, to organize the production of handspun cloth and find ways to sell the Khadi produced. So I am focusing on producing Khadi. ‘I believe deeply in this form of Swadeshi because it lets me provide work to India’s half-starved, underemployed women. My idea is to get these women to spin yarn and to clothe the people of India in Khadi woven from it. I do not know how successful this movement will be. At present, it is only beginning. But I have complete faith in it. At any rate, it can do no harm. On the contrary, any increase it brings to the country’s cloth production, however small, will be a real gain. So you can see that my movement is free from the evils you mentioned.’

He replied, ‘If you have additional production in view in organising your movement, I have nothing to say against it. Whether the spinning wheel can make headway in this age of power machinery is another question. But I for one wish you every success.’

He replied, ‘If your movement aims to increase production, I have no objection to it. Whether the spinning wheel can make progress in this age of powered machinery is another question. But I wish you every success.’