·The
Charkha
is an outward symbol of truth and non-
T-
·Charkha is an instrument of service.
T-
·The Charkha is an outward symbol of truth and nonviolence.
T-
·The Charkha is intended to realize the essential and living oneness of interest among India’s myriads.
T-
·The Charkha is the symbol of nonviolence on which all life, if it is to be real life, must be based.
MM-
·The Charkha supplemented the agriculture of the villagers and gave it dignity.
MM-
·For every minute that I spin, there is in me the consciousness that I am adding to the nation’s wealth.
T-
·The spinning wheel means national consciousness and a contribution by every individual to a definite constructive national work.
XXVI-
·The spinning wheel is a symbol of nonviolence for me.
T-
·He who spins before the poor, inviting them to do likewise, serves God as no one else does.
TIG-
·I would like to assure those who would serve Daridranarayana that there is music, art, economy and joy in the spinning wheel.
T-
The mosquitoes threatened to eat us up. The first day we sat jostling for space with a craft workshop and spun on the Charkha. I had ten students of Avvai Home who were very happy to escape from their class 12 exam pressure to sit in Nageswararao Park and spin on the Charkha. This was our contribution to Sundaram Finance Mylapore festival where we have been presenting different programmes of traditional performing arts. The first day a few kids stood around and very shyly joined in the spinning but the second day the girls and I had no time to look up as people came with great enthusiasm to try their hand at the Charkha. Many said they had never seen a Charkha that played such an important role in our freedom struggle. I was also pleasantly surprised that Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson Srikrishna Kulkarni joined us in spinning with his wife Nilu and son Vishnu.
" This is grammatical "spinning a yarn " , not the pun on it. I am grateful to Dr.M.S.Swaminathan who suggested I apply to Sir Dorabjee Tata Trust for support for the spin a yarn - self and society programme in the ten schools of the city and very happy at the more than good response that we have encountered in the ten schools we approached for it. ( Avvai Home, Bala Vidyamandir, Besant Arundale, Besant Theosophical, Children's garden school , Kumararani Meena Muthiah School , Navbharath Matriculation School, Sudhdhananda Vidyalaya, Sri Shankara Vidyashashrmam and Vidyodaya). We are grateful to the trust for enabling this programme to happen in schools. Also my dear friend Sharada Nayak recommended our work to Lisle International in the U.S. who have given a small grant to conduct workshops for school teachers on Gandhi and education.
Any school interested in organising a workshop for their own teachers and pf schools in the neighobourhood are welcome to contact me. send mail to aseema123@yahoo.com
Peace
Devika