Comprehension

Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Charkha

Mahatma Gandhi was profoundly critical of the modern age in which machines enslaved humans and displaced labour. He saw the charkha as a symbol of a human society that would not glorify machines and technology. The spinning wheel, moreover, could provide the poor with supplementary income and make them self-reliant.

What I object to, was the craze for machinery as such. The craze was for what they call labour-saving machinery. Men go on “saving labour”, till thousands were without work and thrown on the open streets to die of starvation. I want to save time and labour, not for a fraction of mankind, but for all; I want the concentration of wealth, not in the hands of few, but in the hands of all.

YOUNG INDIA, 13 NOVEMBER 1924.

Khaddar does not seek to destroy all machinery but it does regulate its use and check its weedy growth. It uses machinery for the service of the poorest in their own cottages. The wheel was itself an exquisite piece of machinery.

YOUNG INDIA, 17 March 1927

Question: 1

Why was Gandhiji critical of machines?

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When analyzing a critique, always try to understand the underlying factors and the point of view of the critic.
Updated On: Feb 5, 2025
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Solution and Explanation

Gandhiji was critical of machines because he thought that they enslaved humans and displaced labour. According to him, modern technology made humans dependent on them and it also took away the employment opportunities.
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Question: 2

Why was wheel considered as an exquisite piece of machinery?

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Pay close attention to the arguments and claims made by the text.
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Solution and Explanation

According to the source, the charkha or wheel was considered an exquisite piece of machinery because it was a symbol of human society which did not glorify the technology or the machines. It could also provide the poor with supplementary income and make them self reliant. He adopted the charkha because he wanted to glorify the dignity of manual labor and not of machines and technology, and wanted to promote a more decentralized method of production. The charkha was seen as a tool to make the people self-reliant, both economically and spiritually.
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Question: 3

How did Gandhiji glorify charkha?

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Analyze how the author is using a specific image or symbol in the source, and how he promotes its importance.
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Solution and Explanation

Gandhiji promoted the use of charkha as a means to promote self-reliance, and encourage the use of local products. He considered the charkha as the fundamental prerequisite of swaraj, and a necessary step towards achieving independence. He also used the charkha as a tool to appeal to the people to boycott English products and use indigenous goods, thus making it a symbol of the swadeshi movement. Through the charkha, Gandhiji promoted cottage industries, creating opportunities for small scale and home based enterprises, that helped people in self employment. He saw charkha as an important tool in helping the creation of employment in India.
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