History of Khadi

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My childhood memories are full of Gandhian thoughts and principles. My parents, like thousands of people at that time, were active participants in India's freedom struggle and had adopted khadi as a lifestyle. My sisters and I also had khadi as our 'dress-code' but obviously without understanding its relevance. Our parents explained the philosophy behind it when we reached a stage where we had our own preferences and opinions. The decision to accept khadi and the Gandhian way of life was left to us.

Growing up in this environment acted as stimulus for my choosing khadi as the subject of my doctoral thesis (Department of Economics, University of Bombay, 1975). For me, this topic held a personal significance and therefore, a higher relevance. I received mixed reactions from my colleagues and friends for this choice. After 25 to 30 years of Independence and with new developmental strategies gaining ground, this topic was considered of less relevance. It was only discussed or debated while evaluating the framework of Gandhian philosophy or in terms of economic viability.

With passage of five decades of Independence, whilst Mahatma Gandhi is a well-known personality to the newer generation, the Gandhian way of life has started fading away. The current economic and market trends are more reflective of consumer preferences than of any ideologies and philosophies.

**Contents and Sample Pages**