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DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
“3. The varna system is connected with the way of earning a living. There is no harm if a person belonging to one varna acquires the knowledge or science and art specialized in by persons belonging to other varnas. But as far as the way of earning his living is concerned he must follow the occupation of the varna to which he belongs which means he must follow the hereditary profession of his forefathers.
“4. The object of the varna system is to prevent competition and class struggle and class war. I believe in the varna system because it fixes the duties and occupations of persons.
“5. Varna means the determination of a man’s occupation before he is born.
“6. In the Varna system no man has any liberty to choose his occupation. His occupation is determined for him by heredity.”
Turning to the field of economic life, Mr. Gandhi stands for two ideals :
One of these is the opposition to machinery. As early as 1921 Mr. Gandhi gave vent to his dislike for machinery. Writing in the Young India of 19th January 1921, Mr. Gandhi said :
“Do I want to put back the hand of the clock of progress ? Do I want to replace the mills by hand-spinning and handweaving ? Do I want to replace the railway by the countrycart ? Do I want to destroy machinery altogether ? These questions have been asked by some journalists and public men. My answer is: I would not weep over the disappearance of machinery or consider it a calamity.”
His opposition to machinery is well evidenced by his idolization of charkha (the spinning wheel) and by insistence upon handspinning and hand-weaving. This opposition to machinery and his love for charkha is not a matter of accident. It is a matter of philosophy. This philosophy Mr. Gandhi took special occasion to propound in his presidential address at the Kathiawad Political Conference held on 8th January 1925. This is what Mr. Gandhi said :
“Nations are tired of the worship of lifeless machines multi-plied ad infinitum. We are destroying the matchless living machines viz., our own bodies by leaving them to rust and trying to substitute lifeless machinery for them. It is a law of God that the body must be fully worked and utilised. We dare not ignore it. The spinning wheel is the auspicious symbol of Sharir Yajna—body labour. He who eats his food without