Gandhi now turned his attention away from politics and to the promotion of spinning and weaving. He had long believed that the decline of handicrafts was one of the causes of India’s poverty. In the past, weaving had been an important subsidiary occupation in villages, taking up the slack in the lean season. Machine-made goods had destroyed India’s hand-spun textile industry. Its rejuvenation was key to Gandhi’s plans for national renewal. In his ashram, he had set up looms, and made it mandatory for members to spin every day.
