anil gupta's blog

Box 1:

Akhila Bharatiya Charkhaa Sangh Workers’ Samiti has decided to organise this Contest for inventors and engineers all over the world that if they could come up with a Charkha or a Samyukta Yantra which – for making the thread and cloth, that satisfies the following criterion – shall be awarded a Prize money of 1 Lakh Rupees or 7700 pounds.

The Criterion:

1. Charkha must be light-weight and easy to move, and it should be in such a way so as to be operated using either hand or one’s leg – in a natural way in the rural cottages of India.
2. Charkha must be in such a way that a lady shall be able to work with it for 8 hours at a stretch without putting in great effort.
3. Either Charkhas must have a build to accommodate the use of a puni (used to make hand spun cloth)or along with the charkha there must be a way to make hand spun cloth.
4. On working with the charkha for 8 hours at a continuous stretch – it should result in 12 to 20 numbers of 16000 feet (1 gaj?) yarn.
5. The machine should be designed so that it costs no more than Rs 150 to produce in India.
6. The machine should be strong and well-made, and with time-to-time servicing, it should be capable of running for at least 20 years. Servicing of the machine should not cost much, and every year, not more than 5 per cent of the cost of the machine that year shall be needed for servicing.
7. All those taking part in this contest, may – with their own input costs and expenses send their machines to Sabarmati Ashram before or not later than 30th October, 1930. In case the machines satisfy the criterion mentioned – then the inventor/designer can patent it on his name to protect their rights on them. But, if they wish to become eligible to win the prize money of the contest, then the designer shall have to transfer the rights of the patent to Indian Charkha Sangh Council.
8. The Judges for the Contest shall be Khadi Pratishtan’s Sri Satish Chandra Das Gupta, Bardoli, Swarajya Ashram’s Technical Director Sri Lakshmidas Purushottam and Tiruchengonduu Gandhi Ashram’s Director Sri Chakravarthy Rajagopalachari. In case there is no consensus amongst the judges on the winner – Gandhiji’s decision shall be the final one. In case of Gandhiji’s absence Akhil Bharat Charkha Sangh Mantri Sri Shankar Lal Banker shall be the final decision-maker.

All questions and queries may be addressed to Mantri, Akhil Bharat Charkha Sangh, Mirzapur, Ahmedabad.

Dated: 24 July 1929. Shankar Lal Banker.

Floating among clouds
A breeze that compounds
The serenity of blues
A memory that hounds

connections heal
but they also peel
the layers of embedded feeling
i bow and absorb kneeling
the spring-like shocks
ironically, a memory mocks
is that why you weave
quilt of patches with peeve
wash it of stains of those moments
reinforce the weak connections
of the lost ones,
forget their resurrection

Heard in silence
Whispers of crackling dried leaves
Fallen a little early
Autumn set in too soon
May be glaciers are
In remorse

May be molten lava
Is solidifying too early

Imprints of these whispers
May remind
Those who follow us
In this trail

The silence spoke all of it
Disregarding my appeal
For restraint

Do they care

Heard in silence
Whispers of crackling dried leaves
Fallen a little early
Autumn set in too soon
May be glaciers are
In remorse

May be molten lava
Is solidifying too early

Imprints of these whispers
May remind
Those who follow us
In this trail

The silence spoke all of it
Disregarding my appeal
For restraint

Do they care

When years don’t count
Memories mount
Rivers flow
& the pain does not show
We melt inside
Slowly and beside
Moments of anger
Sparkle of smiles
How can one forget
No regret, no hurt

Thank you Sadhana

Aabhar
grateful to you all for your kind remembrances ;

Can’t thank you enough

she remembered every colleague’s birthday, number And often was first to greet them. She kept the group knitted together: above all, she never regretted anything, never complained about the situation, dealt with life as it came, always blessed every one, hosted whoever sought her love without reservations, restrictions : made hers an open house; she walked with us in many shodhyatras right from the first one; she brought out sujhbhuj for a long time & was punctual

Even in her voluntary service, not a minute late nor a minute early to go. Gave full freedom to children to grow their way but being responsible & generous

When the purpose
Is the process
Life does not need many explanations
We walk
And with no need to talk

gratitude for every day we live
breathe and dream
who knows when will
the wind will sweep them away
leaving questions
without answers
will time heal
will hopes wither
will nature be nourished
by the debris of dreams

when petals are scattered
we dont regret, but rejoice
new buds will sprout
out of their decay,
who knows, who will feel, dare I say!

heart does not age,
like a letter we wrote the other day
 in an envelop which is a bit torn 
but did the feeling not presage?

let us ring the bell
the temple seems ready to ignite

yearnings for  creative urges
shall we just remain silent and not tell?

When I was walking today morning
I saw you quietly walking besides me
I am not sure
If your silence was a reminder
Of my words
I said & did not mean fully
Or was it just a reprimand
For all the moments when I kept quiet
Instead of talking