Over the span of the last century, the charkha or spinning wheel of India has symbolized non violence,

independence and economic progress. Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Indian nation, promoted the charkha
during India’s freedom struggle as a symbol of self-reliance and as a source of income for the rural population. It
was emblazoned on the flag of the Congress party, the political party that was built to govern India based upon
Gandhi’s economic vision. Today, more than 50 years after independence, the charkha has also become a
symbol of sustainable energy production.

Gandhi’s simple invention has inspired the development of an e-charkha, a hand-operated spinning wheel that
produces yarn while functioning as an inverter. Launched by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
last November, while actually used for spinning yarn, the e-charkha can generate enough electricity to store and
to power up the specially-designed LED light source.

Today, when everything is creating disillusionment, people are being drawn to violence. Only Gandhian
thoughts can equip the present and the future generations to deal with it without committing violence on
themselves.

Gandhi picked the charkha (spinning wheel) because the British colonial rule was wiping out India's textile
production. Today's colonization is around patenting of life, genetic manipulation of food, monopolies over
water, seeds, plants and animals.

Gandhi's diet was based on a principle that is good for the soil, the producer and the consumer. It produces
sustainability and livelihood and is good for health.

A violent diet destroys the bio-diversity and uproots the farmers. Gandhi had a clear criteria on testing
technology and it can be referred to his talisman that anyone who ignores the general masses is not
technologically progressive, but humanly regressive.

Due to heavy pressurization of theory subjects and high focus on marks, the students are simply busy in mugging
up of their respective subjects and they are totally deviated from the wide range of practical knowledge all
around so extra cirricular activities like spinning and weaving should be introduced in the school curriculum.By
providing such education of spinning and weaving by charkha one can develop it his/her hobby or he/she can
make it use as a source of income.