Paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi's significant work in Africa, The Khadi and Village industries commission (KVIC) handed over a 'Wooden Gandhi Charkha' to the representative of India's High Commission in Kampala (Uganda). Considered to be the tool of self-reliance of Mahatma in Uganda, it was the first Charkha to be installed at a foreign soil under the aegis of KVIC.
The Charkha – weighing around 25 kilograms with the acrylic box packing, is made of high-quality teak wood. Its dimensions are 3.6 feet long, 1 foot 11 inch tall and 1.5 feet wide. Amid much enthusiasm and gaiety, KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena and BH Anil Kumar, Chief Executive Officer addressed the audience.
Vinai Saxena said that it was a proud moment for KVIC and India as it would not only cement a long lasting relationship with a continent that shaped Gandhi's career, but also immortalize and spread his legacy in Africa and beyond. "By putting up this Charkha in Uganda, we will commemorate a great man, who worked hard to spread a message of peace, non-violence and self-reliance in the world," he said.
Giriraj Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, also hailed the KVIC's decision to provide this Charkha for Gandhi Jayanti celebrations in Uganda.
In order to promote Gandhian philosophy of self-reliance, the KVIC had recently installed a high-quality stainless-steel climate-resistant Charkha (21 feet long, 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide) at Connaught Place in New Delhi.
Prior to it, the KVIC had installed a four-tonne World's Largest Charkha (30 feet long, 17 feet tall and 9 feet wide), made
of high-quality Burma teak wood, at Terminal 3 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.