Khadi : Moving Towards Sustainability
CHESTA CHOPRA / AUGUST 20, 2022
The history of India’s freedom struggle is interwoven with the Charkha and Khadi. Today, Khadi has a booming demand and is assisting in the creation of massive employment opportunities across India.
hadi is derived from the word khaddar, which is a hand-spun and natural woven fabric generally used for making clothes like dhoti and kurta in India. Khadi was introduced in the 1920s by Mahatma Gandhi for the revival of India’s cottage industries. It came to be recognized as a weapon of non-violence and contributed to the freedom struggle. Khadi became that thread to which people from diverse backgrounds could relate, it represented both freedom from colonial rule and self-reliance. The central idea of the Swadeshi movement was to boycott the use of foreign, imported products and materials. Khadi, being completely made in India, contributed to the rise of this movement.
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Khadi became that thread to which people from diverse backgrounds could relate, it represented both freedom from colonial rule and self-reliance.
Since India’s independence, Khadi has revolutionized the Indian economy. One of the primary reasons Mahatma Gandhi started this movement for Khadi was as a relief programme for the poor masses living in India's villages. It gave Khadi the identity of a ‘common man’s cloth’ and promoted self-employment opportunities for the poor. This directly resulted in reducing the economic disparity and promoted homogeneity in the country. Gandhi strongly believed that colonial rule could only be overthrown once economic self-sufficiency of the impoverished masses grew. The seeds of the 'Make in India' campaign, which was launched in 2014, were sown much earlier through the Khadi movement; khadi is now a symbol of Indian culture.
Pictured: KHADI AND VILLAGE INDUSTRIES COMMISSION via Economics times
Khadi has been in high demand throughout the world because of its breathability and superior durability but more significantly because of its sustainability properties. According to the KVIC reports, “In a year completely marred by Covid-19 pandemic, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has recorded its highest-ever turnover. In the year 2020-21, KVIC registered a gross annual turnover of INR 95,741.74 crores, as compared to INR 88,887 crores turnover in 2019-20, thus registering an increase of 7.71%”. Khadi’s production has doubled in the last five fiscal years. The innovative marketing ideas such as being mindful of fashion trends, branding, product development as well as diversification of the product range: Khadi masks, footwear, Prakritik paint, hand sanitizers, scaled up local production which paved the way for Khadi’s successive growth.
Production of Khadi promotes self-employment as it requires weaving and spinning, which is a completely manual process. It also enhances employment opportunities as it helps in skill improvement, transfer of technology, research and development, and marketing. According to the KVIC, there has been an increase of 7.55% in the production from the village industry sector from 2019-20 to 2020-21. Similarly, the sales of village industry products increased by 8.90% from 2019-20 to 2020-21. As per the latest census carried out by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in 2020-21, the Khadi sector provided employment to 4.97 lakh people across rural India which is reflective of the massive number of people that depend on Khadi for their livelihood.
According to the KVIC, there has been an increase of 7.55% in the production from the village industry sector from 2019-20 to 2020-21. Similarly, the sales of village industry products increased by 8.90% from 2019-20 to 2020-21.
Pictured: By Keith S. Chambers via pinterest
Other than providing employment opportunities, Khadi also plays a major role in humankind’s fight against global warming and the climate crisis.We observe a direct relationship between climate change, economic scarcity, and poverty. In India the majority of the population is heavily dependent on economically scarce resources like land, oil or labor which indirectly or directly leads to environmental degradation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to move towards a green economy which is one that aims at reducing environmental risks and focuses on sustainable development without degrading the environment. In such a case, with global warming bringing about new challenges to humankind, economists and
environmentalists have found Khadi to be an answer as the way forward towards a sustainable clothing industry, where most parts of the textile industry is leading towards environmental degradation. It is, therefore, befitting to say that the fabric linked with India’s fight for freedom has also emerged as one of the most eco-friendly one.
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Khadi brings power to the grassroots from the top, it places non-violence in front of force, constructive work instead of class conflict, democracy instead of controls, aiming at the sanctity of means instead of final objectives and a philosophy about the individual instead of a collectivist philosophy, it is not just merely a piece of cloth but a way of life. ”
Production of Khadi requires simple and inexpensive tools which are easily available and can be made cheaply as well. These tools are made from wood and bamboo which are renewable and enduring. The spinning and weaving of Khadi requires no machines and thus has a negligible carbon footprint. Production of Khadi requires less water too. To quote from Vogue India “A meter of khadi fabric consumes three liters of water, while one meter of mill-produced fabric requires 55 liters of the precious resource”. Khadi can also be used as a smart fabric with medicinal values. This can be done by dyeing it with vegetable dyes and transforming it with the addition of natural herbs like neem, mint, etc.
The spinning and weaving of Khadi requires no machines and thus has a negligible carbon footprint.
Pictured: Weaving tool workshop by behance via pinterest
The Indian government has taken several initiatives for the growth of Khadi which has assisted in a high growth rate. According to the KVIC, various central initiatives have been taken up for strengthening infrastructure, assistance in marketing, etc. Some of these are the Market Modified Development Assistance (MMDA) and Khadi Reform and Development Programme (KRDP).Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi has consistently propagated the mantra of ‘Khadi for nation, Khadi for fashion’ – the idea that Khadi has become a symbol of national pride and a fashion statement. On account of these initiatives, we have seen an increasing number of Khadi stores and Khadi brands such as FabIndia and House of Khaddar.
Never has a piece of cloth played a more crucial role in shaping a nation as Khadi did in India’s freedom struggle.
Never has a piece of cloth played a more crucial role in shaping a nation as Khadi did in India’s freedom struggle. Moving towards the 21st century where climate degradation is a major concern, a by-product of industrialization which is now slowly becoming a newer reality of the world. While the impact of climate change is nearly incomprehensible, it can be controlled by reducing social and environmental costs into the market value of the product. Therefore, Khadi has the potential for improving human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing ecological risks.
Keywords
Khadi, sustainability, Swadeshi movement, 'Make in India', Mahatma Gandhi, KVIC, MMDA, KRDP, FabIndia and House of Khaddar, social equity, homogenity, social class
References
Khanna, J.M. (2020, January 10). Why khadi is one of the most sustainable fabrics to consider right now. Vogue.
Khurana, A. Renewed Focus and Added Thrust on Khadi & Village Industry.
http://employmentnews.gov.in/newemp/MoreContentNew.aspx?n=Editorial&k=121
Delhi, P.I.B. ( 2021, June 17). Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Records Highest Ever Turnover in FY 2020-21 Despite Covid-19 Pandemic. Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1727869
Jain,E. Khadi - A cloth and beyond. Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal.
https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/khadi-a-cloth-and-beyond.html
Modi, N. (2016) Khadi for nation and khadi for fashion. Narendra Modi.
https://www.narendramodi.in/khadi-for-nation-and-khadi-for-fashion-tribute-to-bapu-532457
Yadav, R. (December, 2016). Review of Marketing Strategies of KVIC. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR),5(12) ,568-571.
https://www.ijsr.net/archive/v5i12/ART20163450.pdf
Government of India (2020-21). Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Annual Report, 36-40
https://msme.gov.in/sites/default/files/MSME-ANNUAL-REPORT-ENGLISH%202020-21.pdf
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