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What does communism mean in the last analysis? It means a classless society-an ideal

that is worth striving for. Only I part company with it when force is called to aid for

achieving it. We are all born equal, but we have all these centuries resisted the will ofGod. The idea of inequality, of high and low, is an evil, but I do not believe in

eradicating evil from the human breast at the point of the bayonet. The human breast

does not lend itself to that means.

Harijan, 13-3-37

Communism of the Russian type, that is communism which is imposed on a people,

would be repugnant to India. If communism came without any violence, it would be

welcome. For then no property would be held by anybody except on behalf of the

people and for the people. A millionaire may have his millions but he will hold then,

whenever they would need them for the common cause.

Harijan, 13-3-37

The Socialists and Communists say they can do nothing to bring about economic

equality today. They will just carry on propaganda in its favour and to that end they

believe in generating and accentuating hatred. They say, when they get control over

the State they will enforce equality. Under my plan the State will be there to carry out

the will of the people, not to dictate to them or force them to do its will. I shall bring

about economic equality through non-violence, by converting the people to my point

of view by harnessing the forces of love as against hatred. I will not wait till I have

converted the whole society to my view but will straight away make a beginning with

myself. It goes without saying that I cannot hope to bring about economic equality of

my conception, if I am the owner of fifty motor cars or even of ten bighas of land. For

that I have to reduce myself to the level of the poorest of the poor. That is what I

have been trying to do for the last fifty years or more, and so I claim to be a foremost

Communist although I make use of cars and other facilities offered to me by the rich.

They have no hold on me and I can shed them at a moments notice, if the interests of

the masses demand it.

Harijan, 31-3-46

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We must have the ability and courage to subsist on what our soil can give us rather

than depend on foreign charity. Otherwise we shall not deserve to exist as an

independent country. The same applies to foreign ideologies. I would accept them onlyto the extent that I can assimilate them and adapt them to the Indian scene. But I

must refuse to go under them.

Harijan, 6-10-46

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Chapter 07

THE CURSE OF INDUSRIALISM

There is a growing body of enlightened opinion which distrusts this civilization which

has insatiable material ambition at one end and consequent war at the other. But

whether good or bad, why must India become industrial in the Western sense? The

Western civilization is urban. Small countries like England or Italy, may afford to

urbanize their systems. A big country like America with a very sparse population,

perhaps, a big country, with a teeming population with an ancient rural tradition which

has hitherto answered its purpose, need not, must not copy the Western model. What

is good for one nation situated in one condition is not necessarily good enough for

another differently situated. One mans food is often another mans poison. Physical

geography of a country has a predominant share in determining its culture. A fur coat

may be a necessity for the dweller in the Polar regions, it will smother those living in

the equatorial regions. Young India, 25-7-29

I would categorically state my conviction that the mania for mass-production is

responsible for the world crisis. Granting for the moment that machinery may supply

all the needs of humanity, still it would concentrate production in particular areas, so

that you would have to go about in a roundabout way to regulate distribution;

whereas, if there is production and distribution both in the respective areas where

things are required, it is automatically regulated, and there is less chance for fraud,

none for speculation.

You see that these nations (Europe and America) are able to exploit the so-called

weaker or unorganized races of the world. Once these races gain an elementary

knowledge and decide that they are no more going to be exploited, they will simply be

satisfied with what they can provide themselves. Mass-production, then at least where

the vital necessities are concerned, will disappear.

When production and consumption both become localized, the temptation, the

temptation to speed up production, indefinitely and at any price, disappears. All the

endless difficulties and problems that our present-day economic system presents, too,

would then come to an end.Harijan, 2-11-34

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Machinery has its place; it has come to stay. But it must not be allowed to displace

necessary human labour. I would welcome every improvement in the cottage machine,

but I know that it is criminal to displace hand labour by the introduction of power-driven spindles unless one is at the same time ready to give millions of farmers some

other occupation in their houses.

Young India, 5-11-25

I refuse to be dazzled by the seeming triumph of machinery. I am uncompromisingly

against all destructive machinery. But simple tools and instruments and such

machinery as saves individual labour and lightens the burden of the millions of

cottages, I should welcome.

Young India, 17-6-26

Dead machinery must not be pitted against the millions of living machines represented

by the villagers scattered in the seven hundred thousand villages of India. Machinery to

be well used has to help and ease human effort. The present use of machinery tends

more and more to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few in total disregard of

millions of men and women whose bread is snatched by it out of their mouths.

Harijan, 14-9-35

Industrialization on a mass scale will necessarily lead to passive or active exploitation

of the villagers as the problems of competition and marketing come in. Therefore, we

have to concentrate on the village being self-contained, manufacturing mainly for use.

Provided this character of the industry is maintained, there would be no objection to

villagers using even the modern machines and tools that they can make and can afford

to use. Only they should not be used as a means of exploitation of others.

Harijan, 29-8-36

I do not believe that industrialization is necessary in any case for any country. It is

much less so for India. Indeed, I believe that Independent India can only discharge her