LIFE OF GANDHI 1869-1948 Chapter 07: The Nation's
Representative, 1931-1932 Sequence 01 Gandhi had awakened the
nation from the slumber of centuries and endowed it with the
courage and determination to be free. The colours of the
national flag were changed at Gandhi's instance... . White,
green and red were replaced by saffron, standing for courage and
sacrifice, white for truth and peace, green for faith and
strength; the spinning wheel represented the hope of the masses
... . For Gandhi, true defence of the flag consisted in
assimilating the qualities represented by the colours and in
giving the spinning wheel a place in every home. 2 He explained,
"We have nearly 700,000 villages a large number of which are
living in a condition of semi-starvation; and they do so because
they have no employment for nearly six months in the year... .
That being the case, it is necessary to find some supplementary
occupation .... Such an occupation is hand spinning ... ." 3 In
an interview, commenting on the efficacy of Saty