The 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and his becoming the honorary member of the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) was highlighted at the IMC building here recently with Lalit Kanojia, President, IMC presenting a cheque of Rs 19.05 lakhs to the KVIC for supplying charkhas to needy artisans in India.
KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena, while receiving the cheque, said that a charkha – costing Rs 15,000 each – is the lifeline of millions of artisans, predominantly women, as it empowered them to spin khadi yarn and sustain their families. “Khadi growth has been 133% (25% over last year) with Rs 2508 crore turnover and, where no infrastructure is available, khadi — with its lowest capital investment – helps support families. So there is a need to adopt khadi in order to save the environment,” he said.
Noting that IMC is the only Chamber that Mahatma Gandhi chose to become a honorary member of, Lalit Kanojia, President, IMC, said Gandhi’s usage of a single khadi cloth and advice to business remained very relevant today. “He outsmarted the British and broke their backs. We too need to point our vectors in the same direction worldwide through our 111-year-old IMC’s voice of two lakh corporates,” he said.
Usha Thakkar, President , Mani Bhavan, while releasing a co-authored book, said Gandhi and Bombay shared a ‘symbiotic’ relationship for years as, while returning from Africa with his ship docking at Bombay city — which he then described as the “Scum of London ,” — he chose the same city to launch his opposition to British rule through protests on its various beaches. “Gandhi — who was a master director — energized Bombay, which responded with enthusiasm in the Civil Disobedience, Quit India movements and other protests,” she observed.
Chief Guest Justice (retd) C. S. Dharmadhikari described khadi as a philosophy that promoted employment to millions while protecting the environment in its own way. “Khadi has the power to prevent “Suicides” as, when farming season is over, charkha usage adds to the farmers income. About two crores khadi artisans will get income if everyone in India wears atleast one khadi garment in a year,” he pointed out.
Khadi spinners from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh displayed their Charkha skills right from using the jawbone of a Godavari river fish called “Valugu” (to clean the cotton of dirt) to spinning yarns. The IMC also felicitated their best spinner Ms Kalpana Cinnamadlu (65), who has been spinning yarns since the age of 16. The IMC and KVIC also organized a two-day exhibition of Khadi products at Kamalnayan Bajaj hall in Mumbai on the occasion.
