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10/31/1947 - R.G. Kakade; Servants of India by Richard Morse

FOR PU LICATI American Consulate Gsuera RM Bombay India written Pooua October Dear Mr Rogers I visited Pooua briefly November young economist Dr R G Kakade village Paras forty miles served interpreter A short simpl dressed casual manner Kakade sight would taken doctor trained student practical economic affairs But talked cultivators artisans school teachers Patas orderly estiator apparent impatient disjointed questions accustomed followiug through completion thought We during Patas I PooUa returning learn methods Kakade Member under Traluing Servants India Society partly under direction Gokhale Institute Politics Economics A brief account activities studies therefore serve introduce these allied organ izations which their headquarters together Peoria In years example charge Depressed Classes Miss school perated Servants India Society South Kanara District As spent several months touring through villages carrying carefully planed statistical survey typical Gokhale Institute projects economic social conditions depressed classes Later various periods famine South India during other members Servants India supervised famine relief toured widely Madras Mysore Coors Hyderabad studying sarclty health conditions writing ports recommending measures alleviation shortage At present Kakade family Servants India premises working material gathered during study depressed classes Occslonall I library nearby where I I large charts tabulating statistics smmll cards prepared shuffled diffe combinations yield various tables which needs before aualyzlu results writing report Often several volumes district gazetser anthropological survey beside But usually ready break pulls chair answers questions Our discussion sometimes centered study which Kakade under direction Professor D R Gadgil Director Gokhal Institute Institute socio eeonomie survey Sholapur important border between Bombay Presidency Hyderabad State About third holapur people directly dependent cotton textile industry handloom weaving their livelihood India hadlooms though competition still arter cloth output constitute foremost handicraft industry provid livelihood people In their importance India Sholapur particularly Gokhale Institute decided devote attention Sholapur handloom workshops orkers Kakade conducted detailed Investigatlon resultln6 doctoral thesis which recently published revised A Soclo conomlc Survey Weaving Communities Sholapur This Gokhale Institute publications which I learn thods scope field Investigatlons become characteristics Bombay Deccan region To conduct study Kakade first complete census haudloom establishments weaving families A total karkhauas places recorded containing handlooms The typical karkhana itself small tenement where several familie night comes roled corner family space slgep floor The small typical shown rkhanas seven looms generally employing workers Further indication iudustry condition predominant credit marketing dependence karkhana owners Few current production expnss without borrowing Over oners percentage higher smallst units permanently dpeudnt larer their produce common practice perhaps credit financier trader undsr areement cloth produced fixed price Kakade selected random units representative smaller bigger intensive study their labor struct techniques equipment finding ignorance funds prevented artisans using latest weaving devices strmcture capital structure sources credit marketing facilitiss coudltlons Ascertaining growth decline years studied relationship tween economic status survival position The statistics analyzed Professor Gadgil opinion establish optimum number looms economic operatlou They however indicate smaller units greater survival chances under dependent status Even though their share sellin might permanently working large flnaucler trader regular provision acceptance their cloth enabled exist years By temperament Kakade small prefer independent entrepreneurs cloth themselves Mill competitigB supply during however against these small ependents None prospering ladding looms while excessive proportion forced looms reduce operations In whole handloom industry similarly competition forcin significant number reduce their Some weavers deserting handloom going mills where could In handloom shops piece wages weaving roughly lower decline since being plainly measurable though governed partly quality sare_ Not weavers almost bondage larger karkhan owners having their employers permitted leave If return their native villages holiday their wives children owner hostages guarantee their return Almost interesting analysis indmstry economy related chapters weaving communities social Nearly weaving families enumerated itional weaving castes being Padmasali caste migrated Telegu speakiug districts Hydrabad State century since transport Sholapur important textile center To study Padmasalis Kakade first toured thei9 native districts learning there generally impover ished condition nutrition sedentary bilitating nature their habits drink Few improved their moving Sholapur But there strang largely retained their solidarity caste commun which perhaps suggestive positive social within group In region Marathi speakiug peoples Telegu continues language Padmasalls place children attend school instruction Telegu Most Padmasalls retain modes worship inherited customs harmless costly degraded sacraments rituals changes standards community oonsclounes belonging It seems Kakade found those Padmasalis traditional handloom profession taken Shoapur mills shedding community influence Their incomes slightly higher literate informed mobile active perhaps bound group But among handloom individualism appeared widely Under weight Dast universe limited tenement house where lives works handloom weaver Kakade words pletely passive social communit blindly forming communal standards thought Sympathy fellowshlp direct other times positive forces perpetuating community conscious The uniting bonds community custom still stronger Kakade opinion disuniting differences economic status A weaver still heredity chaudari headman administers caste custom morals arkhan_ owner cloth dealer Join bonded worker dependent weaver caste dinners Thus cleavages within caste factional rather economic There Eakade found literate peoole community active running communal organisations starting These people moulded public opinion whatev manner liked personal greatness interests rivalries reflected communal orEanisations But opposing factious separate oranisations Jere still within community tradition Only recent years younger ithiu community Communists ithin ithout succeeded arousing degree class consciousness though Was slight which confllct0d community solldarity Even though after lengthy contact Padmasalis their customs Kakade considers longer study period essential For sociological study understaudiu peoole group musto pletely among least speakin their languae Jell O economic believes efficient handloom workshops shold strengthened He suEEests possible improvements their business operations techniques He advocates regula government measures settiu floor under eavers JaE subsidy toard marketing operations combined Ith products protect handloom utput In making these commendations aware difficulty fairly enforcing standards admlnisteriuE subsidies among small He suggests Trade Boards drawing British experienc He aware broad economic implications handiap umills perhaps retarding their expansion Nor preserve permanently uneconomic units But uults efficient enough survive enabled their people efficient until alternative employment available Weavers incomes reveal seriousness problem The average annual family income several hundred carefully studied families representative major industry their reion Re roughly capita annually Kakade calculated minimum costs Sholaour prices quired provide basic nutritional standard other essentials Eighty percent families icome sufficient those costs Rading Kakade pages comes aareness problems small scale industries small often thomselv numerous complex governmental assistance Other statistics Gokhale Institute further bring significance India small producin units important aggregate For example census Poona City iudustrial establlshmeuts metal leather fiber paper printiu presses eavin shops processors others revealed theft product establishments employed workers But these employed workers another Only the1565 workunits employed orkers falling under scope Indian Factory Act Noth industry agriculture minute detailed problems small production units complicated further geographical social diversity India require solution deree regional local initiative ingenuity nationide attention The Gokhale Institute example local initiative applyln itself detailed study unspectacular rotine reason critical factors economy Food crops health family budgets family these concrete realities attention Fruit Marketin Poona Farm Business Wai Taluka Benefits Irriatlon Goda Pravara Canal System L Illiteracy Motorbus Transport Bombay Presldency subjects tackled More ambitious scope Instl socio ecouomlc studies urban centers Poona Kol hapur A major project underway study Deccan Tamiue tract which inteuslvely repre sentative villages 0rign spirit inquiry How affect community Briefly humanitarian scientific century toward society problems uidin spirit Gokhkle Institute parent organ ization Servants India Society Durin principles moderation liberalism gained footholds Maharashtra extensive Marathi language which Poona historical cultural center Here reliant belief constructing future practice patient industrious group educa publicists Judges political leaders freedom equipping their people handle problems The newspapers started those years still existence schools developed colleges brought together University Maharashtra future pride Poona Gopal Krlshua Gokhale founder Servants India Society outstanding representative liberal tradition In truly scieutlfic spirit sought public policy thorough study facts He sought loved their country worked crease number strength The Servants India Socie wrote preamble Constitution Will train prepared devote their lives cause country spirit which religious undertaken promote constitutional means uatlonal interests Indian people without distinction caste rliion community One Society objects organize pollti0al education sItatlon basing careful study public questions Much Gokhale emphasized drected towards building country higher characte capacity rally available present advance With average membership thirty pledged service salaries Servants India Society continued structive spirit supported public donations Each member works fields suited talents choice which range widely society needs Kakade J unior member I described H N Kuuzru President Society India respected elder statesmen member Constituent Assembly Chairman Committee Indianizatiou Armed Forces The Society Vice Presldeut A V Thakkar natlou senior worker uplift aborisinals HariJaus K G Sivaswamy Madras lifelong student rural problems presently serving special adviser villKe development Government Cochin State Org anization s4ricultural laborers publicity needs illiterate cultivator major activities In Bombay Society members taken trade union organization Else where central southern India other Srvauts India active Journalism education scout orgauizatlon social welfare various types ready relief flood famlne To utilize library which Gokhale started Society maintained after death provide satisfactorily Careful study public questions which required Juniors decided establish Institute Politics Economics named Two factors ossible An endowment Rs O00 given Poona citizen imaginative rigerously trained student public affairs Profemsor D R Gadil secured Director With teach other Poona colleges Gokhale Institute prepares gradu students M A PhD Bombay University Its purpose however plannin conductlug research Jects those named above Operatiu until averse annual expenditure Rs OOO OOO support Director assistant statistician field investigators clerical staff Institute indeed small pilot nature As something oneer India socio ecouomic investigations reports completely covered their topics Nor always suggested remedial measures social revealed They however shown problems lines inquiry method complete study which taken subsequent projects They provided which either private business ernment could workln8 policy Two request Government Bombay shaping future irrigation educational policy To extent others actually needs public sound start Sufflcieutly sound attract grant Sir Dorab Tata Trust Fund famine tract project underway Meanwhile Professor Gadgil variously served permanent government committees economic questions local provin national In published vigorous critique Government India economic policy In published searching analyses couutry spelitlcal situation I refer these later letter Before closing I iudlcate briefly characteristic politi stand Servants India Gokhale Institute From Society early foreseen leders would nationalplitics Gokhale himself President Indian National Congress When M K Gandhi returned Africa India World War I Gokhale leaders partlculrly turned guidance Indian politics The mutual affection recorded But War Gokhale Inter forces brought strenuous political actiouo Gandhi cooperation Jail weapons increasingly dominant major strugle beginniu Thenceforth constitutloual means advance Servants India SOciety fellows Liberal Party recessives dsvelopi Indian national Their leain8 members served legislatures which Congress boycotted their Journals The Servant Indla cogently advocated evolutionary process reached restricted circle while Congress leaders stirrlug millions The liberals maintained their strong independence theIr careful analysis velopment commanded respect nearly everyone More vociferous forceful political organizations received votes Judin recent public statements Pandit Kunzru Professor Gadil expected theme small sinlflcant groups continue their independence Iu comiu years their pronouncements frequently criti Cbngress governmental policy They least result caref consideration their objectives creation timely constructive state policy attack social economic Iudias millious Sincerely yours Richard Morse