Gandhi creatiing Khadi

Tonight’s Product of the India of Mahatma Gandhi is Khadi. Khadi is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. It is closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi who encouraged Indians to make Khadi to demonstrate self reliance. It became a symbol of the nonviolent revolution for Indian Independence. Gandhi is frequently pictured making Khadi.

The virtue of self-reliance was an important one for Gandhi. He believed that if a nation was dependent on another nation for essential items as food, clothing and energy this could be a source of conflict and even war. How true this has been proven to be in today’s world.

However self reliance was not individualism. In Gandhi’s view, like that of Jesus, we are all brothers and sisters in God. If one person has more than she or he needs the person naturally shares with a person in need. Self reliance depends on this basic model of social sharing. (I dare not say the S word, socialism.)

Another symbol of self-reliance is a garden, Growing Renewable Affordable Food. A garden, like khadi, is a sign of resistance. We can grow our own healthy food and not be dependent on big agro- businesses and processed, unhealthy food. We cannot all grow all the food we need but by sharing through farmer markets, exchanges, organizations like SHARE and wise purchasing we can eat and drink in a healthy and affordable way and resist the marketing of unhealthy foods.

I just worked a short while today on my own gardens at home but feel that we are catching up on work here and the DMZ community garden.

Khadi clothes besides being warm in winter and cool in summer are beautiful and affordable. Growing or purchasing healthy food and making or purchasing khadi clothes goes a long way to being self-reliant.

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