ARTHIK SAMATA MANDAL
(Economic Equality Association)
Towards the end of May, 1952, about 200 Constructive Workers met at Patamata (Vijaywada District) under the presidentship of Shri J.C. Kumarappa. The conference passed three resolutions (summarised below), and set up a Committee consisting of Shri J.C. Kumarappa (Chairman), Shri G. Ramachandra Rao, alias, Gora (Secretary), and three other members to work among the people for the programme formulated in the resolutions.
This Committee met earlier in the month at Maganwadi, Wardha, and decided to found a new association called Arthik Samata Mandal (Economic Equality Association), with its head office at Patamata (Vijaywada). The Object and Programme of the Mandal are set forth as follows:
The Object: The object of the Mandal shall be to strive through truthful and non-violent means for the establishment of economic equality among the people of India.
Programme: To achieve the object, the Mandal will undertake the following programme:
(a) Educate the people to understand how economic inequality in society results inevitably in social tensions, conflicts and loss all-round in terms of the general welfare of the people and how a proper and lasting solution can be worked out only through truthful and non-violent methods.
(b) Carry conviction to all those who are in any way responsible for the exploitation of others in society that they must make atonement by giving their voluntary co-operation in the task of establishing an equalitarian and classless social order.
(c) Help organise those suffering under exploitation to stand up for justice and be ready when necessary for non-violent direct action.
(d) Carry out the various items of the Constructive Programme to make clear in practice how economic equality depends on the organization of the economic life of the people on the basis of decentralization, and to generate the non-violent strength inherent in the people.
(e) Fight for social equality as part of the struggle for economic equality and thereby remove such evils as caste, purdah etc.
(f) Take all other necessary steps from time to time for the fulfilment of the object of the Mandal.
In the course of his Introduction to the Constitution of the Mandal, Shri J.C. Kumarappa said:
“As no non-violent society can be created or exist where there is a wide disparity of economic well-being the Conference chose as their main plank a programme to bring about economic equality. To this end three resolutions were passed, one for the agrarian sector, one for the equalization of urban incomes and the third for building up the business of the country. These are set out in the following pages, and are now being placed before the country to gather public opinion, collect together patriots from all schools of thought to steadfastly work for the emancipation of the people from economic thraldom. The Arthik Samata Mandal has been formed to give effect to these resolutions.
“Those who feel one with the delegates to the Patamata Conference are warmly invited to join this newly formed Arthik Samata Mandal without caste, creed, sect, or party alignments and plunge into this movement which aims at laying a sound foundation for a free nation. I am sure many will want to partake in this enviable task of placing our nation back on a path worthy of its ancient culture, tradition and history, thus helping to establish a non-violent society which may be the harbinger of world peace on a non-violent basis.
The following is a summary of the resolutions:
1. Abolition of Landlordism and Redistribution of Land
Economic Equality has today become the demand of the age everywhere in the world. But economic equality is possible only when the means of production are owned directly by the actual producers of wealth who are primarily the peasants, labourers, and artisans. India is predominantly an agricultural country and hence land is the greatest single means of production. India today, however, is not self-sufficient in food. We are up against a food crisis for the last four years and yet Government has failed to enthuse the cultivators to grow more food to meet the growing menace of starvation.
One of the main reasons for this state of affairs is the lack of incentive for greater production among those who actually work on the land. Land is often and largely owned by those who do not themselves till it. Hence it has become most urgent that all proprietary rights in land, which are of a feudal nature be abolished forthwith without compensation and land be equitably distributed among those who personally cultivate it. Redistribution of land should be the first major step towards the establishment of Economic Equality and would go a long way in creating psychological atmosphere in the country whereby people would voluntarily come forward to increase the production of national wealth in every field of economic activity.
2. Ceiling on Incomes
The minimum income should assure to an average family adequate food, clothing and housing accommodation, which may be expressed on the basis of the present price level by a monthly income of Rs. 100/. Every effort should be made to reach up to the minimum standard as early as possible. Disparity in income in every sector of economic life should be levelled down. Under such a social order the gap between the minimum and the maximum income should not be such as would jar upon the public conscience.
Ceiling on incomes should be in force on all income groups, none being allowed to hold any property which will yield an income greater than the maximum laid down. Ceiling on all incomes be at present imposed at twenty times the minimum income, to be brought down within a reasonable period of time to ten times the minimum income.
3. Swadeshi Movement
This conference looks with growing dismay upon the indiscriminate influx of imported consumer goods into the country, since the attainment of independence. The situation is worsening every day and all industries, including the large scale and the small scale, are affected. The people who once fought hard for Swadeshi since 1905 are also fast losing the Swadeshi spirit. The economic development in India has become lop-sided, as during her long period of slavery, and very little is being done to restore its proper balance. When all other nations in the world are giving protection against foreign imports to their national industries engaged in producing consumer goods and fostering the Swadeshi Dharma, our Government is not doing anything seriously in this direction. Much of our foreign exchange, fathered at great sacrifice, has already been frittered away in purchasing consumer goods such as are being produced or could have easily been produced in this country and which often are not indispensable.
Gandhiji gave a new definition to Swadeshi that Swadeshi should mean primarily village-made articles and only then Indian-made articles. This conference earnestly appeals to the people to purchase village-made articles and only whenever village-made articles are not available, India-made articles, but never to purchase foreign articles unless they are absolutely indispensable and no Indian counter-part is available. The conference further urges upon the Government of India to control foreign trade and ban all import of consumer goods, to the extent it is necessary, to give full protection to indigenous products.
Resolutions 1 and 2 have been addressed to the Sarva Seva Sangh. It has been asked, in the first resolution, to call upon the Government to take steps before 31st March, 1953, to make such necessary changes in the Constitution as would enable the programme of land distribution to be implemented; and in the second resolution, to call upon the people of India, to adopt suitable non-violent means and launch on a programme of action not later than the same date, to see that the demand for a ceiling on incomes is accepted and given effect to...
Wardha, 23.6.52
[Harijan, July 12, 1952]
‘ARTHIK SAMATA’ CAMP
T.K. Bang
The camp was conducted at Seldoh for about a week to chalk out active programmes of economic equality under the auspices of the Arthik Samata Mandal. Shri J.C. Kumarappa conducted the Camp. Seldoh is a village in M.P. where Kumarappaji is having an Agrarian Research Centre.
On Gandhi Jayanti Day the Camp was inaugurated by Acharya Kripalani. In his inaugural address he explained the relation between law and liberty and emphasized the idea that the more civilized a society, the more are the laws governing various relationships in the society. He said that the problem in India is of the rejuvenation of the village; so the question of land and village industries assumes a paramount importance. The Bhoodan Movement is creating the atmosphere for land distribution it has riveted the attention of all regarding the ways and means of solving this land problem. Ultimately, it is the Government which must redistribute land equitably amongst the villagers. Similarly, it is the Government which must guarantee full employment to every citizen and so village industries will come in. We have to ask the villagers also to buy village products and not go in for cheap urban products.
Prof. J.C. Kumarappa delivered five lectures in the Camp on land, industries and the Swadeshi Dharma. Regarding land he was of the firm conviction that it must belong to the village community. It should be given on probation, say for a period of ten years, to the cultivator. The contract might be renewed in light of the agricultural efficiency displayed by the agriculturist in the past and the size of land given to a cultivator may be reduced or increased at the end of the period for a fresh period of ten years. Land given up by all those who were cultivators before will go back to the village community and it is the community which will give land to fresh entrants. The cropping plan will be framed by the village community after consulting the individual cultivators at the bottom and the District, State and Central Government at the top and every individual cultivator will have to fall in line with the village community’s plan.
There will be a balanced cultivation taking into consideration the natural resources and the essential needs of the people. Self-sufficiency in essential commodities for a region of say 15 to 20 villages will be the aim, and only the surpluses will be sold through a Multi-purpose Co-operative Society. The Co-operative Society will also determine costs of production of different commodities taking into consideration the man-hours required to produce a standard unit of a thing. Barter on the basis of exchange ratios based on these costs will be undertaken between individuals in the village through this Co-operative Society. All exports from and imports in the village and the region will be undertaken only through the Multi-purpose Co-operative Society. The Society will not be essentially a financial body, but it will be a functional co-operative organization, encouraging people to do the various industries and processes in an industry and arranging for the sales and purchase of different products. Manures will be produced; village soil will be conserved by erecting bunds; nullahs, rivers will be bunded so as to irrigate land; internal roads will be made with the enthusiasm of the villagers, Government only bearing cost of materials. We must organize landless labour and educate them in their rights and obligations.
In regard to Swadeshi, we should again resurrect the old idea of Swadeshi, bearing in mind that by Swadeshi we mean, firstly things produced in our vicinity and then only distant mill made products. Foreign products, as far as possible, should not be purchased by the people. This is the passive part of Swadeshi. The active part of it lies in all persons applying their brains to the production of things as a substitute for foreign materials. After sufficient propaganda, a stage may come for active programmes – say bonfire of foreign goods etc. But it must be preceded by wide propaganda and action regarding both the aspects of Swadeshi by thousands of persons. Thus, when we have redistribution of land and the Swadeshi spirit, we shall have full employment and an equitable redistribution of rational dividend and thus we shall attain Arthik Samata...
[Harijan, Jan. 24, 1953]