Page 129 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

free enterprise. Make in India campaign is a very good step in
this direction.
The Indian traditional arts, crafts and handloom which had
declined under the British rule was also a point of interest for
the Swadeshi movement. Through the years numerous attempts
have been made to popularise the cottage industry. But we
have failed to bring it to the mainstream and take it to a global
scale. It can be expanded to include indigenous sectors such as
Ayurveda or even Indian cuisine.

Swadeshi movement was essentially harnessing the
purchasing power to exert pressure on colonial rulers as part of
our freedom struggle. In the present-day context, every marketer,
business, government, monetises this to derive policies, plans
and strategies. We as citizens and consumers, can and should
also be awakened and aware of our own market strength when
we consume products and services offered by other countries.
It is nationalism at its best if we can weaponize our purchasing
power and compel other countries to adopt policies favourable
to India. Imagine an alert and smart citizenry which is fighting
a hostile country with the wallet like a soldier who instead
fights with the bullet. A modern Swadeshi movement can be a
national movement to awaken the Indian consciousness in this
direction. Indifference or lack of awareness brings with it the
danger of strengthening an antagonistic world order.
Most of what is stated above has, in some form or the other,
been a part of government policies. Tilak, through the Swadeshi
Movement, brought the masses and the middle class to political
and economic war zone. A swadeshi movement 2.0 is needed
for mass participation to strengthen our manufacturing sector
and indigenous cottage industry and to support foreign policy.
This is especially relevant in a globalised world and a polarised
world where wealthy nations can decide the destiny of poorer
nations.
4. National Education

The need for National education was first felt during the
Swadeshi Movement and subsequently became a part of the

127 Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata