Gift only khadi goods this festive season: PM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 27

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today back in his home state Gujarat where he addressed Khadi Utsav at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad—an event that saw 7,500 women “creating history by spinning yarn on a spinning wheel together”.

Calling women power a major contributor to the growing strength of India’s khadi industry, he said the traditional material was an example of “sustainable and eco-friendly clothing and which has the least carbon footprint” and appealed to the people to gift only products made in Khadi Village Industries in the upcoming festive season.

Ignored after 1947

Khadi was ignored after Independence, but now it can become a source of inspiration for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. In the past eight years, the sale of khadi increased four times. —Narendra Modi, PM

Addressing the gathering, the PM said khadi was ignored after Independence, but now it could become a source of inspiration for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. “At the time of the freedom movement, khadi, which Gandhiji made the symbol of country’s self-respect, was infused with an inferiority complex after Independence. Because of this, khadi and the village industry associated with khadi were completely destroyed,” he noted.

“In the past eight years, the sale of khadi increased four times and, for the first time, khadi and Gramodyog turnover crossed Rs 1 lakh crore. The sector created 1.75 crore jobs,” he added.

The PM also recalled his personal connection with the “charkha” and remembered his childhood when his mother used to work on it.

“Spinning on ‘charkha’ is nothing short of worship,” he said.

During his two-day visit to the poll-bound state, the PM will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects. On Sunday, he will inaugurate Smriti Van Memorial in Bhuj built “to celebrate the spirit of resilience shown by the people of Gujarat following the 2001 earthquake”.

PM Modi inaugurated Atal Bridge. “It is not only connecting the two banks of the Sabarmati, it is also unprecedented in design and innovation,” he said.

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