Page 128 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

of Swaraj is a valid barometer to gauge the index of political
maturity of post-independence India.
3. Swadeshi

The Swadeshi movement (1905) was the economic
dimension of the freedom movement. The movement which
started in Bengal was supported and brought to the forefront
in Maharashtra by Tilak. The swadeshi program which was
both a political and economic movement and was a foundation
for the birth of Indian Nationalism. The movement sought
the revival of Indian arts and crafts which had declined under
the British rule, growth of Indigenous industry and boycott
of foreign goods. It also sought to promote local employment
and generation of capital which could be ploughed back into
the economy. This movement tried to bring the masses and the
middle class into the political movement. By virtue of being
consumers of the foreign goods, they could contribute by both
boycotting foreign goods and supporting local manufacturers.
The demand for national education also became an important
part of Swadeshi Movement.
Swadeshi is a powerful idea to awaken national consciousness
provided one understands the inherent caveats. The reasons
why the Swadeshi movement did not sustain was just this
– the industry was non-competitive, and the protectionist
environment made the industry complacent and could not
resist the allure of profiteering. In today’s free market global
economy, swadeshi might seem like a dinosaur, an idea which
is outdated. Therefore, one needs an ecosystem which marries
the idea of local with global. You just cannot push products
and services which are inferior or costlier. The industry has
necessarily to be globally competitive. Both the consumer and
the marketer should hold themselves to global standards. It
then becomes a race for being first among equals. “Made in
India” or “Swadeshi” should be a coveted brand all of us can be
proud of. Mere sloganeering is neither sustainable nor viable in
today’s world. If India can produce the best technological and
business brains which power so many economies, it is a matter
of serious concern if our ecosystem produces such gridlocks for

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