Mahatma & Manufacturers

The Indian Government also produced a plan--for the industrialization of India. It proposed rigorous Government control over heavy industries, with nationalization in cases where private capital is insufficient. The Government would: 1) coordinate India's 20 leading industries; 2) subscribe capital for new ventures where necessary; 3) encourage manufactures by buying Indian products wherever possible; 4) license new factories.

India's industrialists wanted an industrialization plan, but they were not sure that they wanted the Government's. Before saying yes, ten top manufacturers, headed by Mohandas Gandhi's good friend,

Ghanshyamdas Birla, decided to visit Britain and the U.S. to see how industry is run there.*

Crumbs of Loot. Cried Mohandas K. Gandhi last week when he heard of the trip: "Big merchants, capitalists, industrialists and others speak and write against the [British] Government, but in action do its will and even profit through it. ... [Independence] will come only when interests, big or small, are prepared to forgo the crumbs that fall to them from partnership with the British in the loot which British rule takes from India."

Wrote good Friend Birla to great Friend Gandhi: "I am very much pained. . . . The industrial delegation is going purely as a nonofficial body at its own expense ... to study the latest methods of production. ... I count on your blessing and prayer."

Said the Mahatma: "You have my blessing and prayer in terms of famishing and naked India."

*Britain will play a big part in India's industrialization. Her amiable automobile tycoon, Lord Nuffield, is now planning to make cars in India. The wealthy Birla Brothers would raise the capital of -L-3,500,000 (about $14,000,000), Nuffield would supply the technicians and equipment. The new car will be called the Hindustan Ten.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.