Reinventing the spinning wheel amidst tariff war

New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) On the occasion of the launch of ‘Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a call for “Har Ghar Swadeshi, Ghar-Ghar Swadeshi (every home self-reliant, every home Swadeshi)”.

“Mothers and sisters, to make Bharat truly self-reliant, I need your blessings for this new mantra: Har Ghar Swadeshi, Ghar-Ghar Swadeshi. I will also tell every shopkeeper — put up a board with pride, display it with honour: “This is Swadeshi, this is Swadeshi,” he urged.

This statement was not made in isolation. It was intended to underscore the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, urging every household to adopt made-in-India products as a civic duty and patriotic act.

In his way, PM Modi has reinvented Gandhiji’s spinning wheel to spur on the message of self-reliance – updated with slogans, shop-front branding, and digital marketing. It transforms every home into a cottage industry, every purchase into a political statement, and every citizen into a custodian of national economic security.

About eight years ago, there was much ado about nothing when he was depicted spinning the wheel by the government's traditional handloom and cotton industry. In the political mudslinging that followed, the message got almost lost.

It was not the person, but the emblem that carried the sense. As a symbol of self-reliance, the “charkha” is exclusively Indian – to the extent that there is no exact translation, the closest being the spinning wheel.

The Mahatma used it as a message to unite the country’s masses across caste and class. PM Modi’s Swadeshi campaign likewise aims to forge a collective identity, one that ties economic choices to cultural pride, especially during geopolitical trade tensions.

In the context of modern global trade wars, self-reliance has re-emerged as a critical theme in national policy, economic planning, and public discourse. While globalisation accelerated unprecedented economic integration in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, recent times have witnessed escalating trade tensions, the resurgence of protectionist measures, and a strategic pivot among many nations toward economic resilience and autonomy.

Gandhiji’s ‘charkha’ was not just a tool for making khadi; it was a symbol of economic independence, inviting every Indian to reject imported cloth and regain control over livelihoods.

By placing the charkha at the heart of his protest, he reframed the simple act of spinning into a mass movement that united villages against colonial tariffs and industrial imports.

PM Modi’s modern spinning wheel is the message of ‘Vocal for Local’. In his 125th episode of Mann Ki Baat last Sunday, the Prime Minister urged citizens, “Say with pride ‘this is Swadeshi’, say with pride ‘this is Swadeshi’, say with pride ‘this is Swadeshi’. We have to move forward with this feeling. One mantra – ‘Vocal for Local’; One path – ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’; One goal – ‘Developed India’."

It will take more than a photo-op at an international event, an effort beyond the customary handshake, in the rising geopolitical tensions.

It’s time to reinvent the charkha, not as a mark of protest, but as a tool for resilience and self-dependence.

--IANS

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