Avadhesh Kumar                   Phone:         27018015/27020903

A-16, Pundrik Vihar, Pitampura, Delhi-110034

Socio-Economic – Ecological Facilitator on Self Reliance

Ex-Member: A.I.Khadi & Vill. Ind. Board (Govt. of India)

Ex-Member: Cent. Cert. Comm. KVIC (Govt. of India)

·       Anna Sudha Village Industries (KVIC approved)

·       PANI- People’s Action for National Integration, Dhirendrapuri, Chachikpur-224141 Distt. Ambedkar Nagar (UP)

·       SCRIA – Social Centre for Rural Initiative and Advancement, Khori Centre, Khori Distt. Rewari, Haryana.

Ref No. AK/Khadi/84/2006-07                                                 Dated: 23^rd May, 2006

Space for the weak & deprived

Khadi & Vill. Ind. hi-jacked by the affluent 

Need to wakeup

These days a lot of loud and voluble turbulence coupled with rage is in the air and is being witnessed all around, within the Government as well as outside on the road, within the Parties, academic world, captains of the business, industry barons, students, teachers, professors, Institutions of excellence, temples of so called light & learning all alike. The issue, reservation quota, made complex perhaps, not because of the sincerity of purpose, but for the exigencies of attracting the Vote Bank. 

For a moment can this controversy be left aside to look into the reality affairs of those Departments, Institutions and Ministries, which are solely meant for the upliftment of those, who constitute the deprived section of the society and are always at the receiving end? Where there should be no room or scope for any controversy to help those who cannot help themselves. Khadi and Village Industry is one sector, with a full fledged Ministry headed by a personality no less than a full fledged cabinet Minister, the only one donning the Gandhi cap in the team of the Prime Minister, Dr. Man Mohan Singh.

Khadi and Village Industry, as the very name proclaims that it is meant for the upliftment of the Village sector, the Rural Folk, yet the Ministry’s arm the Khadi & Village Industry Commission has no qualms in proudly boasting that “We are no more Village bumpkins” and has shamelessly changed the direction of the focus of its agenda from the poor and the down trodden to bring into the spotlight, the elite, who are never tired to breathe day in and day out the Five Star culture, reflected in their Fashion Shows aka wardrobe malfunction/ fislan shows. The KVI Lords presented a new ‘Color’ and flag with the decoration and rank, ‘Fabric of Freedom’, bringing down from the mast and consigning to the dustbin, perhaps, the old fashion and out of sync, ‘Livery of Freedom’.

Is it the very objective, which was visualized by Gandhiji, or even in today’s scenario? Is it going to be that the road map of Khadi to be ‘Deliverer’ of those 30% who live below the poverty line and those who live in the Villages, deep in the interiors and at the same time are part of the electorate, though they may not be part of the organised force of the Vote Bank politics, whom we want to allure through the Quota gimmicks? Can be there any effort for a sincere exercise to look in to the SCAM behind such gross violations of its fundamental obligations, causing hundreds and thousands of Crores of Rupees besides the vast human energy going down the drain?

75% of our population is within the age group of 0 - 39 years, 34% between 0 – 15 and 41% between 16 – 39 years. Can they be assured of some creative activity or constructive work to enable them to have at least their ‘Food Security’, just two square - meal a day, if not more? Our Prime Minister have acknowledged that most serious threat is internal security, almost 170 Districts covering one fourth area of the country occasionally slips away out of control. In this bullock-cart country i.e. Bharat, out of 182 Districts where NREG (National Rural Employment Guarantee) Scheme is operative, more than 2 Crores and 28 lacks applications have been received for just hundred days of the work in the year at the paltry wage of just Rs.58 per day, i.e. for just Rs.5,800/- in the whole year, to save themselves from the wrath of hunger-deaths. Can’t KVI programs step in to provide them succor at a much less cost and that too through out the year? Can there be any will to take up this challenge for the ‘Livery of Freedom’ or its option is distinctly to regale itself in the dazzling arch lights of the Five Star culture wrapped in ‘Khoobsoorat Khadi’, shying away to face the reality and yet leaving no stone unturned to bask in the glory of the name of Gandhi.

There cannot be any peace without ‘food security’, is a well known phenomena. India’s heart and soul resides in Villages and we have the audacity to say, ‘We are no more Village Bumpkins’ (See Delhi Times Supplement of TOI October 20, 2003). Our Hon’ble Prime Minister have talked about walking on the policy of two legs: meaning thereby that if one leg is regarding law and order, the other leg is to address the grievances of the people, otherwise we are bound to be doomed.                                                                                                               

Hence, can the Khadi sector awake from its slumber? Today the Khadi sector is worried about its physical body, whereas the need is to feel concerned to live while we are alive. Can the Department, the Ministry and the Government wake up even for the sake of implementing the Quota concept in this area, where there should not be any room for protest and or scope for any grouse?

Which way we want to take Khadi? What is the Mission? Passion or Fashion? Passion to inspire us to achieve life’s goals, contribute towards the general happiness of the masses, by bringing smile on the hungry faces or instead to impel us to satisfy the so called basic instinct of our desire for our yearning for prestige, quest for being amorous, for looking more body beautiful, looking more sexy in Khoobsoorat Khadi, the ‘Fabric of Freedom’. Remember, without Passion we would even lie listless in bed for there would be no motivation to do anything at all.

Does Khadi know to which port it is sailing? If not, then no wind would be favourable, if to use the paraphrase of Seneca. Selfish sentimentality has blunted our judgment. There is a distinct loss of Resonance between the so called ethics and philosophy of Khadi and the path, which it has chosen to walk on. Veer ras ki dhun par Shringaar ras ka thumka? Yeh kis Vyakaran ka shastra hai? Let us not forget that Khadi has a grammar of its own. We must try to understand and learn to respect it. Unfortunately, Khadi the deity of valor, as the Goddess Durga has of late been shifted out to a new precinct, called the abode of Mohini or that of Eve. Our first and foremost task, rather duty should be to bring back and restore the Goddess to its original temple and install therein with its pristine glory, where the ambience is vibrant with the rendition, ‘Veeron ki Baat Hai Bhai, Kayar ka nahi kaam’, or ‘Mukh men Ram, haath men kaam, yahi hai Sarvoday ki pehchaan’ and Pujya Vinobaji’s Mantra that ‘Khadi se gaon ka poshan hota hai’, should be the rendition vibrating the atmosphere.

Avadhesh Kumar