The Story of My Experiments with Truth · Chapter
XL: Found at Last! explained
Gandhi describes the discovery of spinning wheels in Vijapur, the establishment of khadi production, and the efforts of Gangabehn Majmundar and others to revive hand-spinning and weaving.
What happens
Gandhi describes the discovery of spinning wheels in Vijapur, the establishment of khadi production, and the efforts of Gangabehn Majmundar and others to revive hand-spinning and weaving. He recounts the challenges of obtaining slivers, the involvement of Umar Sobani, and the spread of spinning in the Ashram and Bombay, emphasizing the psychological and economic significance of the spinning wheel.
Themes in this chapter
Self-Discipline and Simplicity
Gandhi's insistence on adopting khadi exclusively, even when coarse and costly, reflects his commitment to simplicity and self-discipline.
Service and Community Leadership
Gandhi, Gangabehn, and others worked collectively to revive spinning, demonstrating community service and leadership in economic self-reliance.
Characters to notice
- Gangabehn Majmundar
Found spinning wheels in Vijapur, organized spinners and weavers, and supplied Gandhi with khadi dhotis.
- Maganlal Gandhi
Improved the spinning wheel with his mechanical talent, leading to manufacture of wheels and accessories at the Ashram.
- Umar Sobani
Provided slivers from his mill to support the spinning initiative in Vijapur.
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Led the khadi movement, experimented with spinning, and advocated for hand-spun cloth.
- Shrimati Avantikabai Gokhale
Learned spinning from the spinners Gandhi found in Bombay.
Key passages
“The money thus spent, in my humble opinion, was not wasted. It brought us a rich store of experience, and revealed to us the possibilities of the spinning wheel.”
Gandhi believed the funds used for khadi experiments were worthwhile, as they provided valuable experience and showed the potential of the spinning wheel.
Gandhi justifies the financial cost of the khadi movement as an investment in knowledge and self-reliance.
“I gave notice to Gangabehn that, unless she provided me with a khadi dhoti of 45 inches width within a month, I would do with a coarse, short khadi dhoti.”
Gandhi set an ultimatum for Gangabehn to produce a wider khadi dhoti, or he would accept a coarser, shorter one.
This shows Gandhi's determination to wear only khadi, even if it meant accepting less comfortable cloth.