position is a stock example. In Western countries the absence of a collar and necktie, except at play, denotes the laboring man, as do also certain kinds of clothing. In India the length and quality of the dhoti[1] has social connotation.
Because of this long and close association between clothing and social position, the wearing of khaddar in India has real significance, both social and political. It means that the wearer is either a poor peasant or is in sympathy with the poor masses through the Indian National Congress. The wearing of it is a declaration of independence, a sign of inner strength, self-reliance and humility. It is equivalent to saying, “No, I am not open to social flatteries or briberies. I do not care to curry favor with government or with socially influential people. I prefer to work with and for the humble, poor and despised. I am a Gandhiite, a Congressman. I prefer Indian culture to that of the West. I do not believe in social distinctions. I will not be separated from the peasants. I want real Swaraj.”[2]
But if, on the other hand, a man is greatly impressed by Western civilization or British power and looks up to it with admiration, he is apt to want to copy or associate with Europeans, and is apt to wear mill cloth produced by those Western-made machines which he respects. By wearing fine mill cloth he is apt to feel more at ease in the presence of Westerners. So his hopes and preferences, conscious or unconscious, or his subtle social aims or inferiority complexes tend to find expression in the clothing he wears.
Because khadi thus has a real meaning, no Indian should feel surprise if European employers or Government officials look with disfavor upon khadi. Khadi is not
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