Gujarat BoardEnglish MediumSTD 11 CommerceEconomicsEconomic Thoughts3 Marks
Question
Explain Gandhiji's thoughts about use of machinery'.
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Answer
Gandhiji was not against use of machinery he was against the misuse of machinery.
He was against the blind desires of man for the use of machines.
He believed the machines to be the servant of human and not the masters.
But when a country has enough labours then increasing use of machinery leads to increase in unemployment.
Gandhiji opposed machines for $3$ reasons:
Machines make human slaves.
Excessive use of machines encourages unemployment.
Use of machines leads to concentration of economic power in the hands of a few people. Excessive use of machines destroys villages and vices of urbanization emerge.
Gandhiji advocated limited use of machines on a condition that it should lead to unemployment, crones of people living is slums should be benefited and their labour work should decrease their efficiency should increase.
The environmental problems which have arisen in the world show the foresightedness of Gandhiji.
When Gandhiji was asked, "Are you against use of machines?" he replied," How can I?" Because human body is a dedicate machine. 'Charkha' is a machine." He said his objection was not for machines but for human's reckless use of machines.
Machines help small groups of people to become rich.
The motivational force behind use of machines is not the saving of labour but greed for money he said that his objective was not to oppose machines but to limit their use.
He presented three limitations of use of machines.
Nation's man power should be fully utilized while using machines.
Machines should be use friendly.
Machines should be used in such a way that majority of people can use them as per their convenience.
Gandhiji believed machine deprives a man from his abilities, it makes man robot.
Use of machines increases centralization of economic power and fluctuation in it hinders economic development.
According to Gandhiji, use of machines can be done for producing capital goods.
Because production of capital goods helps in production of consumer goods.
Gandhiji emphasized on considering the social cost of unemployment instead of considering the financial cost only, while using machines.
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