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“AN CONCEPT ASSOCIATED WITH GANDHIJI SHOULD NECESSARILY BE A DERIVATIVE OF TRUTH AND NON VIOLENCE. FOR THIS INDIAN RURAL ECONOMY IS NOT AN EXCEPTION”
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| Economic Rationale of Khadi |
Khadi-Textile is a part of the whole Textile Industry in India. Khadi Textile (Khadi & Polyester) fabric production is only 117million square meters, out of 23,567 million square meters of the fabric production from all sectors. Khadi accounts for only 0.5 percent of total production of all Textiles. Handloom is 18.1%, mills 9.6% and power loom is 70.5%. Thus, Khadi Textile production is a miniscule of only half percent and perhaps may be surviving, only because of existence of KVIC, which nurses this industry by injecting Central funds in this Economically insignificant but politically significant sector. Because of the emotional hang-over of Khadi, i.e. a “Promoter of Swadeshi movement and instrument of self-reliance”, which conceived in the 1929’s, Still worked somehow. But, at this age of economic liberalization, after 75 years of survival of Khadi, we need to look around the hard economic fact. Is it prudent to put on the scarce resources in a defunct or dying industry. We may ask ourselves this question, and find a solution in the Gandhian talisman “Whether it serves the interest of the poor ?” Gandhiji was undoubtedly a very practical man. During Gandhiji’s lifetime, there was a lot of economic sense in the prescription for Hand-spinning throughout the nation. Capital was scarce, both indigenous and foreign, capital was extremely shy to enter into low profit village economy, power was not available and to provide employment to large number of unskilled rural people, at a very modest investment with village made inexpensive tools and units, hand-spinning by the masses was a natural choice. It was a masterly economic decision, indeed, during Gandhiji’s period. But, now things have changed, electric power is available in the Indian villages and with Indian capital, Indian Textile Industry is thriving and also producing cheap cloth for the masses. In the present situation, there is hardly any economic significance for continuing the hand spinning textiles industry i.e. Khadi other than the emotional reasons. Because, the scarce resources that are put in this sector, cannot give an efficient, return for whom it was originally meant i.e. the poorest of the poor people, switch over to alternative choice of this scarce resources is necessary in order to save the interest of the poor beneficiaries. However, the matter is not so simple because of the huge set up of Khadi industry is made, after independence, by way of liberal pumping of funds by the Central Govt. A sudden stoppage or reversal may bring in chaos.
In the khadi, sector there are 1.86 million spindle installed, whereas in the mill sector, 28.09 million spindle are installed. Comparing the mill sector textile and the khadi sector textiles, we can see the mills have provided 10.2 lakh employment, who produces 15,230 lakh kgs. of other yarn i.e. per capita productivity is 1493 kgs / person. In khadi sector textiles ( khadi and polyvastra) employment provided is 14.93 lakhs, who produces 211 lakh kgs. of cotton yarn. Converting the part time employment to full-time employment ( on 3.1 ratio ), it is equivalent of 4.97 lakh full time persons and the per capita productivity work out as 42.45 kg. per person. Thus, per capita productivity in khadi sector is only 2.84% of mill sector, or in other words, the mill sector is 35 times more efficient in terms of per capita job-productivity, which is the contribution of machine. However, we have to remember, lower productivity, would inevitably lead to lower wages, and it is well known that earning in khadi sector’s artisans are very low. To improve their lot, it is utmost necessary to increase the productivity of khadi workers, for which introduction of power-operated 24 and 48 spindle charkhas are a must.
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| The Plus Points Of Khadi |
Khadi – Fabric production is mostly labour intensive. Khadi programme brings it’s technology at the door-step of the Khadi-worker. For providing employment to village people at a minimum investment, in interior villages, where no other gainful activity is there is no alternative of khadi programme.
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