SPINNING RESOLUTION

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09415777229, 094055338

E-mail- [e-mail];[e-mail]

 

 

 

SPINNING RESOLUTION

 

 

The spinning resolution of the A.I.C.C. is, in my opinion, the most important of all the resolutions of the A.I.C.C. There is an inclination to laugh at it. The members of Congress organizations can demonstrate in a month’s time the impropriety of the laugh. Even if the economic value of khaddar be admitted, it will be found on experience that the resolution was necessary to bring about an economic revolution. It is not too much to expect Congress workers to give half an hour’s labour to its most popular programme. Those who voted for the resolution are in honour bound to carry it out. In my opinion, the penalty clause had a proper place in the resolution. An organization has every right to prescribe penalties for a breach by its members of self-imposed conditions. But now that the penalty clause is out, I hope that even the objectors will comply with the resolution. Its possibilities are immense. Spinning is obligatory on all representative Congressmen. There are, or should be, in every one of the twenty provinces, provincial, district, taluka and village organization. They have each at least five hundred such representatives. I understand that some provinces have several thousand representatives. But, taking the lowest figure, we get over ten thousand members. Two thousand yards of 10 counts means nearly ten tolas. Therefore, ten thousand members would be sending 2,500 pounds of yarn. That is to say, the representatives would have spun enough yarn to supply five thousand poor men with one vest-length of cloth. Apart from every other consideration, is this labour not worth taking for the sake of the poor? Imagine the effect of such work on the poor people! The knowledge of Congressmen working for them must fill them with a new hope. Take another consideration. Ten thousand representatives cannot be satisfied with just spinning themselves. They must infect with their zeal those they represent. And thus, khaddar which is supposed to be on the wane will wax again with redoubled force. The workers being intelligent men and women will learn the science of spinning and will be, therefore, in a position to organize their neighborhoods for hand-spinning. Moreover, half an hour and ten tolas is the minimum required. As a matter of fact, one spins 100 yards in half an hour with the greatest ease. The minimum, therefore, one can send should be three thousand yards. And half an hour is suggested for the busy worker. Many should be able to spin for one hour. I know some who are now spinning at the rate of two hours per day. The average receipts should, therefore, be at least double the minimum counted by me, i.e., 5,000 yards. I do not suppose anyone has yet realized what this hand-spinning means. It is nothing less than making national work self supporting. Here are some figures. I have taken low average rates and low average work. And five volunteers can easily organize the whole Congress work among 450 men and women. The united labour for a single item of a large number of persons has illimitable possibilities, though the labour of one person for it may mean practically nothing. An ardent worker may work out many startling figures. I make a present of three propositions to be so worked:

1. If hand-spinning in a poor district is chiefly paid, it can remove its poverty.

2. If spinning in a well-to-do district is mainly voluntary, it can support all the volunteers that may be needed.

3. Every village school can defray Sat least half its expenses if the school children are made to work at all the processes up to spinning for at least 3 hours per school-day.

I need not point out that no such results are possible if khaddar does not become as saleable as a postage stamp. It would be criminal if it does not become so in a country which grows more than enough cotton for its wants, whose population is used to spinning, which has all the accessories necessary for i. and which has a very large, starving population waiting to be organized for such work. If this work is to be done efficiently and economically, the Provincial Secretaries and others will have to carry out to the full the instructions they may receive from the Khadi Board. The headquarters must have a duplicate register containing the names of all the members (serially numbered) who are expected to spin. All yarn must be labelled containing the number of yards, weight and the name and the serial number of the spinner. The Provincial organizations will have to collect sufficient cotton for distribution. Carding will have to be organized. Thus there is no time to be lost, if the returns are to be complete, as they should be, the very first month. Lastly, those who do not know spinning at all will make no headway if they commence by spinning only half an hour daily. For the first few days, before the fingers respond, the beginner will have to work several hours per day.