Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya

Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya
Speeches & Writings

Swadeshi Movement 1907

 

In supporting the Resolution on Swadeshi Movement of the Conference held at Surat in December 1907, Pandit Madan Mohan, Malaviya said:

 

Mr. Chairman and Gentleman:- I have very great pleasure in supporting this Resolution. It is hardly necessary to make any appeal to you in the cause of Swadeshi. I consider it as a dispensation of Providence that the minds of our people have for some time past been more and more directed towards the Swadeshi Movement. Among all the factors which you think to be calculated to improve the condition of the people and bring back prosperity to the people, the Swadeshi Movement is one of the highest importance. Patriotism needs it, humanity dictates it, and every possible consideration that you can have will enforce the carrying out of the Swadeshi Movement in the most earnest spirit, not only now but for a long time to come. Gentlemen, time there was when this country, this very city of Surat, in particular, was renowned in the world for her excellent industries. The condition of things has changed; the wheel of prosperity is down. The condition of Indian looms and Indian artisans is now changed. We now get almost every articles, however small from Europe, articles for our daily use. Well, we should feel very sore about it. We ought to be extremely active in changing the condition of things prevailing here. There is dire distress prevalent in the country at this moment. I need not remind you of the suffering which is being undergone in almost all parts of the country by the vast number of our aged and our poor belonging to the lower and middle classes. Famine now comes in every third year; during the last ten years we have had so many famines, and during the last century we have had so many more. We have lost a vast number of our people, simply because even in this land of plenty, where corn grows anywhere, in this land of fertility which produces more corn than would be needed to feed all its Population, there is no money in the pockets of people to enable them to buy the corn which they find in the market and they therefore die of starvation, The question of famine is not a question of want of grain.

 

Sufficient grain is grown in this country. The question of famine is a question of there not being sufficient money in the pockets of the people, to enable them to purchase grain. Among all the solutions which have been suggested, the recommendation of the last famine commission and of the previous famine commissions is one of the greatest importance for preventing famines. They say; Build up the strength of the people by reviving industries and find other avenues than agriculture for the people to depend upon." How can you do that except by trying your very utmost religiously and not merely as a matter of retort; not as a matter of expression of feeling of dissatisfaction, but as a matter of duty to humanity and as a matter of religious duty to your country that you should become swadeshis, not in one or two, but in every single concern throughout your lives. There is no country in which there is greater room for service to one's country than this unfortunate land. There is no land which I can think of where you can render greater service to humanity than this land of poverty stricken people. It is your duty to enable them to earn some money in order that they may be able to get the food which they require, that the Swadeshi cause is growing is a matter for rejoicing. I fear it is not growing as much as is commensurate with the needs of the people. We hear a great deal of talk about Swadeshi, but I don't know that our people have realized it to be a duty which they owe to their country. Remember that it is a duty which you owe to your nation. Remember that it is the duty which other nations have realized and have practiced and profited by it. England recognized it many years ago. America recognized it, and Australia recognized it. They have all been profited by it. They believe it to be their duty to practice Swadeshi. England is proud of it at this moment. You must acknowledge that many of the articles made in England are superior to the articles made in other countries. An Englishman is naturally proud of selecting articles of English make. A Japanese feels naturally proud to select articles of Japanese make, if he can get it. Well, time may yet be distant when you will feel naturally proud to select articles made in India, articles which will compare favourably with articles of European and American make. Don't use articles of foreign make of very good polish and very cheap if you can get articles of Indian make. Purchase those articles which will put some money into the pockets of your brethren in this country. Remember that thereby you are trying to put food into the mouths of some hungry people. I have seen in my own city of Allahabad where I purchase a towel worth six annas coarser and probably dearer than the towel which I could purchase of foreign make; but in doing so I have the great satisfaction of knowing that the man who is selling will probably be able to retain half of the money with him and that it will help him to have at least one meal throughout the 24 hours. Therefore, let us not be content with using Swadeshi articles when they are as fashionable as are the articles of English and foreign make. Let us purchase articles which are coarser and dearer if we can afford to purchase them. Let us purchase articles of Indian make wherever we can get them, not from any other consideration, but from a higher consideration of finding some food for some hungry mouth or some clothing for some naked brother or sister who is perishing in the cold in this season of famine. At this moment I cannot tell you how many thousands of my countrymen in the North are dying of starvation and how many thousands are dying because they have not sufficient clothing to protect themselves from the severe cold of the season. Government is evidently doing as much as it is possible to prevent starvation and to relieve distress, but it is not possible to do all that the situation requires when the population is so generally poor. It is your duty to help the people in the distressed parts of the country. Even the little help that you will give will save several lives or, at any rate prolong them. In drawing, your attention to it at this moment, I trust the appeal will not go in vain. We have been clamoring about the inactivity of Government. Let us be active and carry on the noble work of relieving distress. That is our duty at this moment. Let us recognize that we have no organized system of relief for feeding our countrymen. We must put aside other considerations like the political and education - all other considerations for a moment from our mind sand begin to bestir ourselves to appeal to those who can spare money for supplying a little food and a little clothing for those that need it in the different provinces of India. To work up the Swadeshi cause is not a mere fad, nor a political passion; it is a matter which leads to the prosperity of the country. Help it in all possible directions and by all possible means, discarding the idea of strife, and cutting off from your minds all thought of personal predominance, personal ascendancy or personal honor. Discard such idea in order to do good service to your people. Help the Swadeshi cause so that you may enable the poor people of all parts of India to find food and clothing for themselves. (Loud cheers.)

 


 

 

 

 

 

Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya