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This article provides information about the Gandhi’s principle of swadeshi as a means of ushering in ‘real’ progress:
Gandhian perspective on development hinges on the concept of swadeshi or home economy. In operational terms, swadeshi called for self-governance, self-reliance, and self-employment of people, particularly those in villages.
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Economic and political power in the hands of the village assemblies would significantly reduce their vulnerability to the outside market forces and enable the villagers to develop a strong economic base and give priority to local goods and services. The village community, then, would emerge as an extension of the family with cooperating individuals who share a common bond rather than competing individuals each of whom seeks to establish himself/herself over others.
In one of the letters to Jawaharlal Nehru wrote, “The village of my dreams is still in my mind… my ideal village will contain intelligent human beings, they will not live in dirt and darkness as animals. Men and women will be free and able to hold their own against anyone in the world. There will be neither plague, nor cholera, nor smallpox; no one will be idle, no one will wallow in luxury. Everyone will have to contribute his quota of manual labour”.
The principle of swadeshi implies the use of indigenous products and services. Gandhi explains the articulation of swadeshi in different spheres of life. One who follows swadeshi restricts himself/herself to the ancestral religion, that is, use of the immediate religious environment.
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Similarly, in the domain of politics, swadeshi implies making use of indigenous institutions; in the domain of economics, swadeshi implies the use of only those things that are produced indigenously. Now, in stressing on the use of homegrown and home-crafted products, Gandhi in no way implied that defects and deficiencies in these should be overlooked or allowed to be perpetuated. Instead, he stressed that the defects and deficiencies should be rooted out.
He felt that much of the poverty of the people could be removed if the spirit of swadeshi was followed with rigour in “economic and industrial life”. It was his conviction that “if not one article of commerce had been brought from outside India she would be today a land flowing with milk and honey”. He clarified that it was a delusion to suppose that the duty of swadeshi begins and ends with spinning the wheel.
In fact, swadeshi is a whole philosophy of life which involves dedication to the service of others. Communities practising swadeshi would not hanker after unlimited economic growth that becomes a limiting factor to self-development. Gandhi said that creation of unnecessary wants hampers self-growth.
Moreover, the race for unprecedented economic growth leads to competition and strife, which are destructive. Swadeshi, on the other hand, is the way to peace with oneself, with neighbours, and with nature. It then is a kind of religious discipline to be undergone with total disregard of the physical discomfort it may cause to individuals. A person who is committed to swadeshi is not excessively concerned if a particular article that he/she needs is not available because it is not produced indigenously. The person learns to do without it and without several others which he/she may consider unnecessary.