Mahatma Gandhi saw mechanisation as a danger to employment. Explain.

Question 19:Mahatma Gandhi saw mechanisation as a danger to employment. Explain.

The correct answer is – Mahatma Gandhi was a strong advocate for traditional, labour-intensive forms of production, and he saw mechanisation as a threat to employment and the welfare of the workers. Gandhi believed that the use of machines in industries would lead to a concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few, while the majority of the workers would be left unemployed and impoverished.

One of the key reasons Gandhi was against mechanisation was that he saw it as a way to exploit workers by taking away their jobs and replacing them with machines. Gandhi believed that labour-intensive production methods were more equitable and sustainable, as they provided employment for a larger number of people and ensured that the benefits of production were more widely distributed.

Furthermore, Gandhi argued that mechanisation was harmful to the environment and promoted a culture of waste and consumerism. He believed that a society based on traditional, labour-intensive forms of production would be more sustainable and promote a simpler way of life that was in harmony with nature.

Gandhi’s views on mechanisation were closely tied to his broader vision for a more equitable and sustainable society. He saw the use of machines as a symptom of the larger problems facing modern society, including inequality, exploitation, and environmental degradation. In his view, the solution to these problems lay in a return to traditional forms of production that emphasized the value of labour and the dignity of the worker.