The charkha, or (spinning) wheel, was the physical embodiment and symbol of Gandhi’s constructive program. It represents localism (swadeshi), self-sufficiency (but at the same time interdependence, as the wheel only had meaning in the center of a vast network of cotton growers, carders, weavers, distributors, Charkha Gandhiand users), the dignity of labor, equality and unity (as all volunteers were pretty much required to spin each day), and finally independence, as British control of India was rooted in control of her indigenous industries. For this reason, Nehru called  the homespun cloth (khadi)  “the livery of our freedom.”

The power of the homespun cloth in India’s independence was that every person regardless of age, social class or gender was involved somehow in the chain of cloth production, from sowing the seeds of cotton to wearing  khadi.  While everyone was encouraged to “spin the wheel” a few hours a day, being part of the chain production of the homespun cloth was all that it took to feel united at a national level.

The Metta Center logo is derived from the charkha and we now have a real operating spinning wheel adorning our redecorated office. Stop by and visit our new office in 1730 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (no pun intended ;-)) in Berkeley.

Charkha @ Metta Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources:

  • In the excellent issue of  YES! Magazine: Go Local!, you can explore more on the current swadeshi that is happening on the Earth Community.
  • Perhaps the 21st century “outer charkha” is food. YES! Magazine’s issue Food for Everyone is an extraordinary resource to understand why “Healthy Food is the Foundation of Social Justice.”
  • The “inner charkha“, a daily activity that everyone can practice in the planetization of the movement, is “being in receptive silence” (BIRS). Some examples of BIRS are meditation, silent prayer and contemplation of Nature.

See also:

swadeshi

constructive program

trusteeship

swaraj

sarvodaya

khadi