OPSC 2020 PYQ 1 — History
The notion of Swadeshi occupies a pivotal place in Gandhi’s thought and practices. The centrality of the notion of Swadeshi can be gauged from the fact that Gandhi believed that the way to Swaraj is through the practice of Swadeshi. He upheld that if we adopt Swadeshi not only in the economic, but also in the educational, religious and political arenas, we would be able to establish an equitable and just social order. Gandhi does not use ‘Swadeshi’ in its literal sense viz., ‘of one’s own country’ alone. According to him Swadeshi does not mean merely the use of what is produced in one’s own country. Swadeshi actually means reliance on our own strength. ‘Our strength’ means the strength of our body, our mind and our soul. So, Swadeshi operates not only in the physical realm but it is also a spiritual principle. While negatively Swadeshi means that the foreign goods should not be purchased at the peril of goods produced indigeneously; positively it means that we should collectively apply ‘our brains to the production of things as a substitute for foreign materials’ or refining the indigenous goods and services. Swadeshi does not mean exclusion of everything foreign under every conceivable circumstance. The principle of Swadeshi is not based on narrow patriotism. Swadeshi is a nationalist humanitarian principle because it strives for the welfare of whole humanity. Only he who cares for his neighbour has the right to say: ‘All are kin to me.’ Swadeshi is not a punitive or revengeful vow, rather it is a religious duty. It is not a vrata that is aimed at harming anyone, including oneself. It is a principle which aims at the improvement and benefit of all. A Swadeshist has to voluntarily adhere to the principle of self-denial of refined goods at the cost of personal inconvenience. He has to make conscientious and persistent effort to improve the quality of goods produced in his country. Let me conclude by saying that Swadeshi as a global practice, will one day, improve the quality of goods and unite the whole world and make every nation self-reliant, atmanirbhar.
The principle of Swadeshi operates:
- Only in the physical realm
- Only in the spiritual realm
- Neither in the physical nor in the spiritual realm
- In the physical as well as in the spiritual realms
Answer: D. In the physical as well as in the spiritual realms