On October 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to revive a tradition which was started by freedom fighter K Kamaraj in 1945 in Peraiyur, currently in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu.
The veteran national leader from Tamil Nadu, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi donated 500 traditional wooden charkhas to the local women spinners on the occasion of a spinning mela organised in the then Madras presidency. After him, no other leader sought to continue with such an initiative.
Following the footsteps of late Kamaraj, Modi would distribute 500 traditional wooden charkhas again to woman spinners belonging to the 5 Khadi local Institutions at ludhiana. The spinning mela is organised by Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) as part of the MSME award function at ludhiana.
VK Saxena Chairman, KVIC, said 500 woman spinners have been selected from Mohali, Nabha, Nakodar and Gonaspura of Punjab. Forty per cent of the recipients are from Scheduled Caste category and six per cent from the minority community. The remaining are from the general category.
The distribution of the charkas would go a long way in promoting the Make in India campaign launched by Modi and uphold the Gandhian tradition of India. The programme is also designed to give a boost to the spirit of self-reliance, self-sustenance and self-sufficiency in the country.