an speech on swadeshi
Answers
The Swadeshi Movement was a part of the Indian independence movement and contributed to the development of Indian nationalism.This movement started in 1906 against the Partition of Bengal. It was one of the most successful movements against the British rule, primarily organized and led by Aurobindo Ghosh, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Babu Genu. Swadeshi was a key focus of Mahatma Gandhi, who described it as the soul of Swaraj (self-rule). It was the most significant movement in Bengal and was also known as the Vande Mataram movement in India. The movement ended in 1911.
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi, who, on rising to speak, received an ovation, said that he
had been addressing men and women everywhere in the city and he thought he would
not be in a position to speak to them anything new on swadeshi. A gentleman had
come to him from Lucknow who told him that something was going wrong in the
United Provinces. A man had been incarcerated by Government for three days in a
very dark cell for some trivial offence and was still in jail. The gentleman from
Lucknow asked the speaker as to what a man in that position should do. He advised
him to bear all hardships with patience. They should all create in their hearts the
virtue of patience. He was not sure whether that story told by the gentleman was true
or not, for it was very difficult to remain incarcerated for three days in a dark room. Of
course, he had an experience of such an incident, because they had not forgotten as
yet the cruelties perpetrated on Indians by foreigners in the Punjab. Therefore the
story related to him might be true.
He would again tell them that, if they did not understand their duty towards the
country, they were not then right in asking for freedom. He was going to speak to
them on swadeshi that night. There were other stories related to him by someone that
there were three persons arrested by Government. One of them was a Congress Secre-
tary who on being arrested by Government apologized to the Government and the
remaining two also apologized. They (the three men) had now given up the national
cause and were remaining aloof from the movement. They should feel ashamed of
such action. He would appeal to those present to be fearless as far as possible, for
when their object was laudable, why should they care for the Government? If they
were not willing to undergo hardships and troubles they should give up the movement
at this stage. He, therefore, appealed to every man and women present in the hall to
be ready for dukha (pain) at any time for the sake of their country.
The had opened a depot for foreign-made clothes, where they could send their
clothes without any hesitation. If they did not succeed in boycotting foreign cloth
by 31st July they would be put to great shame in the eyes of their fellow men and in
the eyes of the world at large.
The Mahatma asked whether they had made any preparations for the 1st
of August. There was no shame at all in sending away their clothes to that
depot for foreign-made clothes. Some bahens (sisters) when asked to boycott
their foreign made saris said that they were unwilling to do so. No doubt there were.
other women who were ever ready to wear the khadi dress. Whatever pardeshi
(foreign) clothes a woman had at present, she should give them up in obedience to the
call of the nation. If men and women present at the meeting were not willing to
boycott their foreign-made clothes, they had no right, no claim whatever to swaraj.
Whatever he had got to say that night he had already said many times and he
would now ask those who were willing to do what he desired to raise their hands. But
before they raised their hands he must tell them that the so-called swadeshi cloth
manufactured in mills should not at all be resorted to; for his advice to them was to
avoid all machine-made cloth. The supreme virtue of khadi was that it was hand-spun
and hand-woven.
Bezwada khadi saris, the speaker said, were now not available in large stocks
but in their absence, they could very easily wear khadi saris and on the 1st of August
they would see many women wearing khadi saris. He would again tell them that there
was no shame at all in adopting that dress for it was their national dress. They should
not keep nirasha (pessimism) in their mind, but they should be courageous in
fighting the battle of Indian nationalism.
He then asked those men and women willing to dress themselves on the 1st of
August and thereafter in khadi to raise their hands. At that request nearly all present
in the hall raised their hands. Some women were found somewhat unwilling to raise
their hands.
The Mahatma again appealed to them to boycott foreign-made clothes and
wear khaddar dress without any fear or favour. Still he would ask them not to be led
away by any threats . . .
Concluding, the Mahatma said he had nothing more to speak on the swadeshi
movement, for he had been speaking constantly on the same theme for the last so
many days. He had great faith in his countrymen and he therefore prayed to God that
the great movement he had set on foot would bear good results in the end.
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