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Welcome to KHOJ: The search to know our roots and understand the meaning of our existence.

Prejudice is the biggest problem in the society. It can be it in terms of religion, cast, sex, skin-colour, status etc. Prejudice can also be in form of the feeling that human beings are the greatest creation, or even patriotism about artificially created borders. The motto of KHOJ is to gain knowledge and break that prejudice. But there is a word of caution for the readers. To break the prejudice KHOJ might throw upon you the concepts it believes in. If the reader believes on KHOJ’s perception without question, then KHOJ itself might incept a prejudice in the readers mind thus failing in it own motto. KHOJ is trying to break its own world of prejudice, but at times that prejudice might get reflected in its writing. Please do challenge them.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

13.8 The Cult of Chakara

Gandhi saw in industrialization a hidden evil that tied men into a vicious web of materialistic world. The promise of science, technology and prosperity were illusion that threatened our nation and even the souls of our men. Running blindly after westernization made our youth lose their identity. Wearing English dress, learning in English medium school, working in industries controlled by British, masked as modern and liberal and which Indians were proud of, were only created for the profit of our oppressor [1]. This 'modern' attitude was advertised by British because it bred an industry, like the Manchester clothes, that were controlled by British. In this culture both consumer and worker become slave to machines of those big industries in Britain; a culture that promote suspicion, hatred, racism and exploitation [2]. It was draining India's wealth, and spoiling indigenous industries. It was making us poor. Gandhi was right in a way. We see the same attitude even today that makes a women who dress in traditional fashion be named 'bahenji', or someone who is poor in English as illiterate. We also see it in our obsession for fairness. The thought that 'Western' equal 'Modern' in itself show lack of intelligence. Thinking that a women in burka as not intelligent is equally shameful as calling a women in bikini a slut. Gandhi thus called for renunciation of everything western, and complete non-cooperation with the Government. He urged people to follow simple lifestyle and use of indigenous products, the symbol of it being the ‘chakara’, or the spinning wheel. That would help Indians become self sufficient. Gandhi thus started the Chakara agitation inviting all Indians to spin the wheel. This extreme view, however, was criticized by Rabindranath Tagore, one of Gandhi’s greatest admirers and one who gave Gandhi the title ‘mahatma’.