New Delhi, August 20, 2024: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has strongly criticized the central government’s increasing use of machine-made polyester for the Indian flag, calling for a return to khadi as the only fabric deserving of this national symbol. In a scathing article published in The Hindu, Mrs. Gandhi emphasized the importance of khadi in India’s history and culture, asserting that it should remain the exclusive material for the Tricolour.
Mrs. Gandhi’s remarks come in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s renewed ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign ahead of Independence Day. She used the opportunity to challenge what she described as the government’s “moral duplicity” in promoting the national flag while allegedly sidelining the traditional fabric that once symbolized India’s independence struggle.
“The rampant adoption of machine-manufactured polyester flags, with raw materials often imported from China, is a stark departure from the Flag Code of India, which historically required the national flag to be made of ‘hand spun and hand-woven wool/cotton/silk khadi bunting,'” Mrs. Gandhi wrote.
Khadi, she argued, is not just a fabric but a symbol of India’s storied past and an icon of modernity and economic vitality. She lamented the government’s 2022 decision to amend the Flag Code to allow machine-made polyester flags, a move she believes undermines the essence of the national flag.
In her article, Mrs. Gandhi highlighted the struggles of the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), India’s sole BIS-accredited national flag manufacturing unit, which recently went on strike to protest what it called the “state-sponsored murder” of India’s khadi industry.
She pointed out that India, once a global hub for polyester manufacturing, has become a net importer of polyester yarn, primarily from China. This, she argued, is a “shameful inversion of our national pride,” particularly at a time of heightened tensions with China.
Mrs. Gandhi also criticized the government’s broader policies, accusing it of supporting big corporate interests at the expense of India’s handloom and handicraft traditions. She cited demonetization, the implementation of GST, and the unplanned COVID-19 lockdown as key factors that have devastated the handloom sector, forcing thousands of workers to abandon their professions.
“The GST continues to burden our handloom workers, and their calls for exemption have been ignored,” she noted, adding that the recently launched Vishwakarma Yojana, which excludes handloom workers, is insufficient to address their needs.
Mrs. Gandhi concluded by urging the government to empower khadi spinners and weavers, promote global appreciation for Indian handlooms, and protect the integrity of the khadi brand. “Bapu’s khadi should be globally treasured, not denied its identity even in his very own nation,” she asserted.
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