The Book
The book is a study of khadi, the fabric that successfully transcended its commodity status to become a political symbol. Using a fresh approach, it shows how an idea, determinedly pursued, can become a movement. Khadi acquired emblematic status during India's freedom struggle. Gandhi saw khadi as heralding real freedom to the millions of poor and marginalised Indians. Recreating a parallel history of the khadi movement alongside that of India's freedom struggle, the author argues that khadi's core semiotic lay in its being a commodity of resistance against colonial exploitation.
The Author(s)
Rahul Ramagundam has a PhD. From Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has been engaged with grassroot issues as an activist, advocate and academic. His publications include 'Defeated Innocence' and 'Pausing Poverty'. Currently he is writing the history of voluntarism in India.