Even from the standpoint of employment, cottageindustrialisation is of prime importance. “Full Employment” is the latest slogan of Economic Planning in theWest. But can employment be assured to all the citizensunder mechanised large—scale production? When highlyindustrialised countries like the United Kingdom and theU. S. A. have not yet been able to provide employment tomillions of their people, can we in India with a populationof 400 millions legitimately expect to meet the problem ofunemployment by multiplying mills and factories? Atpresent all the heavy and large scale industries in our country absorb only about two million workers. If, according to the Bombay Planners, the heavy industries areencouraged and expanded, say, five times, they shall be able to employ about 10 million people. But what about the rest? The Indian farmer himself is only partially employed; he is badly in need of supplementary industries toadd to his meagre income. Cottage industrialisation on amass scale is, therefore, the right solution. Instead of“mass production,” there should be organised productionby the masses in the numberless village communities. Afew heavy or ‘key’ industries will, of course, be necessaryfor modern economic planning. But Gandhiji is of thedefinite opinion that such key industries should be State-owned and State-managed.
