The Constitution of the All-India Spinners’ Association – Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

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The Constitution of the All-India Spinners’ Association – Mahatma Gandhi

Whereas the time has arrived for the establishment of an expert organization for the development of hand-spinning and khaddar, and whereas experience has shown that such development is not possible without a permanent organization, unaffected and uncontrolled by politics, political changes or political bodies, an organization called the All-India Spinners’ Association is hereby established with the consent of the All-India Congress Committee, as an integral part of the Congress organization, but with independent existence and powers. The said Association shall consist of members and associates and donors hereinafter defined and shall have an Executive Council consisting of the following persons who shall hold office for five years:

1. Mahatma Gandhi

2. Maulana Shaukat Ali

3. Syt . Rajendra Prasad

4. Syt. Satis Chandra Das Gupta

5. Syt. Maganlal K. Gandhi

6. Seth Jamnalal Bajaj, Treasurer.

7. Mr. Shuaib Qureshi

8. Syt. Shankerlal G. Banker } Secretaries

9. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Powers of the Council

The Council shall take over all the funds and assets belonging to the All-India Khadi Board and all Provincial Khadi Boards with full powers to administer these and other funds and shall discharge their existing financial obligations. The Council shall have the right to raise loans, to collect subscriptions, to hold immovable property, to invest funds under proper security, to give and take mortgages for the furtherance of hand-spinning and khaddar, to give financial assistance to khaddar organizations by way of loans, gifts or bounties, to help or establish schools or institutions where hand-spinning is taught, to help or open khadi stores to establish a khaddar service, to act as agency on behalf of the Congress to receive self-spun yarn as subscription to the Congress and to issue certificates, and to do all the things that may be considered necessary for the furtherance of its objects, with power to make regulations for the conduct of affairs of the Association or the Council and to amend them, as also the present constitution, as may be considered necessary from time to time. Vacancies in the existing Council by death, resignation or otherwise shall be filled by the remaining members. The Council shall have the right to add to its numbers which shall not exceed 12 at any time and four members shall form the quorum for a meeting of the Council. All decisions shall be taken by majority of votes. The Council shall keep an accurate account of all subscriptions, donations and fees, whether in cash or kind, and of expenditure. The books shall be open to public inspection and shall be audited by competent auditors every three months. The Central office of the Association shall be at the Satyagraha Ashram, Sabarmati, and those who are desirous of becoming spinning members of the Congress shall send their yarn subscriptions to the central office with particulars in the following form: 

To,

The Secretary,

All-India Spinners’ Association, Sabarmati

 

 

Sir

I enclose herewith ________________ yards of yarn _____ _____ in weight spun by me being my subscription to the National Congress. I am or wish to become a member of the_______________ Congress Committee. My age is __________. My occupation is ____ _________. My address is __________. Yours faithfully, (Signature in legible hand, and if a woman state whether married or unmarried) Upon receipt of the subscription the Secretary shall examine the quantity and quality of yarn and if found satisfactory shall send to the Congress Committee concerned a certificate in the following form: This is to certify that_________________ has sent to the A.I.S.A.____________ yards of yarn being subscription for membership of the Congress for the year ___________in ____ _______ Congress Committee of ____________     P. C. C.  A duplicate of the certificate with signature of the Secretary shall be sent to the sender of the yarn. The central office shall keep a separate ledger containing a list with full particulars of all yarn received by the A.I.S.A. for membership of the Congress.

Members:

There shall be two classes of members of the Association, A and B:

(i)                 The A class shall consist of persons above eighteen years of age and habitually wearing khadi, who deposit regularly from month to month with the treasurer or any agency duly appointed thereto by the Council 1,000 yards of self spun yarn well-twisted and uniform.

(ii)               (ii) The B class shall consist of persons above eighteen years of age habitually wearing khadi who pay an annual subscription of 2,000 yards of self-spun yarn, well-twisted and uniform. Any yarn paid to the Association for membership of the National Congress shall be considered part of the subscription to the Association.

Rights and Duties of Members:

The duty of every member, both A and B classes, shall be to carry on a propaganda for hand-spinning and khadi. The members shall have the right to elect from among members of the A class the Executive Council after the expiry by efflux of time of the present Council. The members present at a meeting duly convened may by a three-fourths majority change the constitution of the Association after expiry of five years from the date hereof. When in any province fifty members have been enrolled, they may elect from among the members of class A, an advisory committee of five to advise the Council about provincial matters relating to the objects of the Association.

Associates:

Those who pay the All-India Spinners’ Association Rs. 12 per year in advance and habitually wear khaddar shall be considered Associate Members of the Association. Any person who wears khaddar habitually and pays in advance a consolidated amount of Rs. 500 shall become a Life Associate of the Association. All Associates will be entitled to receive free of charge copies of statements, balance-sheets, and minutes of proceedings of the Councils. Every person wishing to join the Association shall apply in the following form:

To,

The Secretary,

All-India Spinners’ Association, Sabarmati

Sir,

I have read the rules of the A.I.S.A. I desire to become a member of class/an associate member and I forward herewith my subscription for Please enroll me as a member.

Yours faithfully

Reference:

Young India, 1-10-1925