ABSTRACT
The three words ‘Satyagraha, Sarvodaya and Anasakti’ (non-attachment) convey Gandhiji’s whole philosophy of individual and social life. Sarvodya literally means the welfare or the uplift of all. It stands for human considerations outweighing all else, whether in the economic, social or political sphere. Sarvodaya has come to say as one of the distinct ideological trends of our times. Gandhiji drew inspiration from the teaching of love and non-violence of Buddha and Mahavira and from these ancient seers who taught austerity and self-control. His immediate inspiration was drawn from the reading of Ruskin’s ‘Unto the Last’.
The Eraniel Sarvodaya Sangh was started on 1977. This Sarvodaya Sangh has twelve branches in all over Kanyakumari District. This Sangh have a Chairman, Secretary and a Treasurer. The main aim of this Sangh is to uplift the villages by giving employment opportunity to the villagers. Yarn, Agmark Honey, Leather goods, Candle, Agarbathi, Javadhu were the some important production of this Sangh. This Sangh was under the control of Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
INTRODUCTION
Gandhiji was a moral and spiritual genius and had a rare combination of both thought and action in him. The three words “Satyagraha”, “Sarvodaya” and “Anasakti” (Non-attachment) convey Gandhiji’s whole philosophy of individual and social life. Sarvodaya means the welfare or the uplift of all. It stands for human considerations outweighing all else, weather in the economic, social or political sphere.
Sarvodaya has come to say one of the distinct of ideological trends of out time. Gandhiji drew inspiration from the teachings of love and non-violence of Buddha and Mahavira and from these ancient seers who taught austerity and self-control. His immediate inspiration was drawn from the reading of Ruskin’s “Unto the Last”. By getting inspiration from these great persons he paraphrased its central idea under the little of “Sarvodaya”. The monthly organ of Gandhi Seva Sangh started in 1938 was also named “Sarvodaya” 1
The Sarvodaya social order envisages a classless, stateless society where “man will be the centre of society, but self-interest will not be the basis of social organization”. Here everyone will work for society according to his capacity and receive from society in accordance to his needs and in consonance with the needs of his fellow men.
The Sarvodaya principle is that a life of mutual aid and sharing and freedom and self regulation and self-management can be best lived in small communities rural or urban. As far as possible, every primary community will produce at least the essentials of life. This will ensure freedom and at the same time make co-operation between wider circles of communities easy. There will be no place for the armaments industry in the Sarvodaya Society2.
The main objective of Sarvodaya is to provide full and integral employment to every member of society, and for this purpose the industrial structure would be fashioned to increase production while maximizing employment3.
The another object is to ensure that every member of society receives an optimum of material requisites of well-being essential for the development of his personality and for enabling him to make this creative contribution to the welfare of society.
Lastly it would ensure that techniques and instrument of production are not such as to seek to increase material well-being by adopting a predatory and vandalistic attitude to nature, but are such as to instill reverence for life and keep the needs of the whole of humanity including posterity in mind. Therefore attempts would be made to replenish as far as humanity possible, the natural resources utilized and to provide for all life that revolves round man and his social, economic and cultural pursuits4.
THE ERANIEL SARVODAYA IN KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT
Eraniel town is about 15km from Nagercoil on the Nagercoil – Monday Market road and 5 km to the South of Thuckalay. In the past, it was the seat of the royal family of Travancore before Padmanabhapuram became their chief town in South Travancore. From very early time, the place was famous for its cotton fabrics. Weaving is still a major occupation of the people here. The Eraniel Sarvodaya Sangh situated in the heart of this town5.
The Eraniel Sarvodaya Sangh was started in the year 1977. The main aim of this organization was to propagate Gandhiji’s principles for the uplift of the villages by giving employment opportunities to the villagers.
This Sangh has a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. Under the efficient administration of these office bearers this Sangh is functioning well. Besides these office bearers sixteen other staff are working here. This Sangh is having twelve branches in all over the Kanyakumari District. The Eraniel Sangh provides raw materials to its branches and the branches produced the goods and handed over them to the main office. From main office it would be sold to the business men on a whole sale rate.
The main productions of this organization are Yarn Kadhi, Readymade Cover and Mattresses, Agmark Honey, Carding Fibre, Fibre Coir, Leather Goods, Candle, Agarbathi and Javadhu. For making Kadhi Dhothi they purchase the raw materials of sliver from Chitra Durga in Karnataka State. This sliver could not directly used for making Dhothis. So this sliver is made as threads. One bunch of thread is called as Chitta. The sliver is issued from the head office and to one branch at Maruthancode for forming the Chitta by using Charka. For that 25 ladies were working in this branch. For one Chitta they will get Rs. 2.50 as remuneration. Every week this branch handover the Chittas to main office at Eraniel. From there this is sold to the weavers at a rate of Rs. 6.4 for one Chitta.
The administrative officers were changed once in three years. They were selected by the Trust Members. This Sangh was under the control of Khadi and Village Industries Commission. Inspection were made by this commission to check the development and improvement of the Sangh. The members of this Sangh often convened meeting for the welfare and further improvement of the Sangh activities. During the starting stages the Sarvodaya products were in great demand. But after the evolution of great industries the demand for these products was deceased. Now for the last two years the condition of Eraniel Sarvodaya Sangh has improved.
– Dr. D. Lekha
Head & Associate Professor, Department of History, Sree Ayyappa College for Women, Chunkankadai
References
1. Buddhadev Bhattacharya, Research on Gandhi Thought, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Bombay, p. 84.
2. Ibid, pp. 85 – 86.
3. Viswabatg Tandon, The Social and Political Philosophy of Sarvodaya after Gandhi, P. 187.
4. Ibid, p. 188.
5. M. Gopalakrishnan [Ed],Gazetteers of India, Tamil Nadu State, Kanyakumari District, Commissioner of Archives and Historical Research, Madras 1995. pp. 1174-75.