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THE MILL INDUSTRY 117

oil press. Nothing took the place of these industries.
Therefore the villages were drained of their varied oc-
cupations and their creative talent and what little wealth
these brought them.

Hence, if the villagers are to come into their own,
the most natural thing that suggests itself is the revival
of the Charkha and all it means.

This revival cannot take place without an army of
selfless Indians of intelligence and patriotism working
with a single mind in the villages to spread the message
of the Charkha and bring a ray of hope and light
into their lustreless eyes. This is a mighty effort at co-
operation and adult education of the correct type. It
brings about a silent and sure revolution like the silent
but sure and life-giving revolution of the Charkha.
Harijan, 13-4-'4O

CHAPTER XXX

THE MILL INDUSTRY

Our mills cannot today spin enough for our wants,
and if they did, they would not keep down prices un-
less they were compelled. They are frankly money-
makers and will not, therefore, regulate prices according
to the needs of the nation. Hand-spinning is₅ therefore,
designed to put millions of rupees in the hands of poor
villagers. Every agricultural country requires a sup-
plementary industry to enable the peasants to utilize the
spare hours. Such industry for India has always been
spinning- Is it a visionary ideal—an attempt to revive
an ancient occupation whose destruction has brought
on slavery, pauperism and disappearance of the ini-
mitable artistic talent which was once all expressed in



	THE MILL INDUSTRY 117 oil press. Nothing took the place of these industries. Therefore the villages were drained of their varied oc- cupations and their creative talent and what little wealth these brought them. Hence, if the villagers are to come into their own, the most natural thing that suggests itself is the revival of the Charkha and all it means. This revival cannot take place without an army of selfless Indians of intelligence and patriotism working with a single mind in the villages to spread the message of the Charkha and bring a ray of hope and light into their lustreless eyes. This is a mighty effort at co- operation and adult education of the correct type. It brings about a silent and sure revolution like the silent but sure and life-giving revolution of the Charkha. Harijan, 13-4-'4O

	CHAPTER XXX THE MILL INDUSTRY Our mills cannot today spin enough for our wants, and if they did, they would not keep down prices un- less they were compelled. They are frankly money- makers and will not, therefore, regulate prices according to the needs of the nation. Hand-spinning is₅ therefore, designed to put millions of rupees in the hands of poor villagers. Every agricultural country requires a sup- plementary industry to enable the peasants to utilize the spare hours. Such industry for India has always been spinning- Is it a visionary ideal—an attempt to revive an ancient occupation whose destruction has brought on slavery, pauperism and disappearance of the ini- mitable artistic talent which was once all expressed in