One Among Us
Hanging magnificently at the entrance of our living room, the portraits of my great grandparents are bound to lure one in, to steal a glance at them. As one is drawn in by their expressions of warmth and love, one can’t help but notice their attire. Contrary to the grandeur of the portrait and its ambience, the white fabric that clads the subjects of the portraits, casts a different spell — of resilience and loyalty to Gandhi. For as long as I can remember, white clothing with thick bold border, adorning it, has been synonymous with my great grandparents. Surprisingly, I never took the initiative to understand the deeper meaning and the story behind why my great-grandparents always wore white cloths. I was oblivious to the enriched history that was wrapped onto those photo frames.
As a student of Fashion Communication, I applied for the sponsorship of my Graduation Project for an opportunity floated by a NIFT project on Khadi. At the beginning of this year, I was selected and joined the Centre of Excellence for Khadi as an intern. I was introduced to the world of Khadi and the rich history that it holds. I remember, on my first day itself, I was asked, “What is Khadi?” to which I had confidently replied that it’s a fabric just like cotton. However, that confidence and the feeling of triumph for having answered that question easily was short lived. Gradually I realised the true meaning of Khadi. I’m not only talking about the literal definition but also the deeper meaning that it holds. For the next two months I spent relentlessly researching and reading and it was during this time that I realised that Khadi, was rather much closer to home than I could have ever imagined.
“I’m currently researching on Khadi and trying to collect some interesting anecdotes.”, I told my grandpa as part of our daily telephonic exchange. “You know, Bapa (father) and Bou (mother) only used to wear Khadi”, my grandpa excitedly replied but perhaps it was me who got more excited on hearing this. I was intrigued; I was finally one step nearer to unveiling the truth about that white clothing that my great grandparents’ wore and not merely their colour preference.
My great-great maternal grandfather was a member of Odisha legislative during the British era. An ardent follower of Gandhi, he swore by the practice of Swadeshi. Pa, as I lovingly call my grandpa, then went on to share his childhood memories of how a charkha was always present at his maternal grandfather’s home. Whenever I asked my grandfather about how he spent his summer vacations as a child, he said summertime brings back the imagery of a desi charkha being kept at the corner of a thatched patio, overlooking the earthen road. Charkha was a prominent fixture of his childhood memories.
“Ajja (Maternal Grandpa), was a freedom fighter. I have always seen him wearing Khadi all throughout his life; I can’t recall him picking up anything over Khadi — even for festivals and wedding. Such was his devotion to the idea of Swadeshi and self-reliance. Every summer, I used to visit him in the village, my evenings were often spent watching him spinning the charkha.”, Grandpa recalls. I was hooked and honestly surprised; for I was unaware that the white piece of clothing in my great grandparent’s portraits which seemed insignificant for so long to me, held so much of depth and meaning to them.
Inspired by my great-great grandfather and his devotion to the idea of swadeshi, my great grandparents adopted Khadi as a way of life. For them, it was no longer a mere piece of clothing; but their contribution to India’s resilience and an ode of respect to Ajja and his devotion to freedom struggle. Khadi was a witness to their entire life; be it from the birth of my grandfather to lighting earthen lamps at midnight on 15th August 1947, to celebrate India’s independence. Khadi for them was their vocal statement of their relentless support to India’s freedom.
The idea of khadi still stands firm within my family, though trickling down over the generations. Grandpa, my grandfather, only occasionally dons Khadi. However, as an ode to his parents and grandparents, him along with his brothers, only wear white cotton clothing for their daily use.
My father has also adopted that idea of Khadi, though more as a fashion statement and his love for comfort. His love for it, has led him to purchase so many shirts that my mother often jokes that he could open his own Khadi store. This conversation with my grandfather made me realise that Khadi has been an integral part of my family’s history; yet ironically, I was unaware of it and didn’t even know about its true meaning. I now wonder, how many people like me would have lived unaware of the history of khadi within their own families.
Credit:
Ayushi Acharya
Student / Intern
Dept. Fashion Communication, NIFT, Delhi (2018–2022)
