Gandhi – Telegram of Gandhi’s Khadi & Patel’s Appeal from Manilal Kothari An important and historical original 3 page telegram from Gujerat Congress President Manilal Kothari, dated 1931 to the Ruler of Gondal asking him to assist with Gandhi’s Khadi movement by purchasing it. ‘Splendid response so far to Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s appeal connection Khadi sales Gandhi ji jayanti…your highness kindly order large purchase Khadi for use in state and distribution amongst poor particularly and famine stricken…’ Khadi was a handspun cotton and woven cloth, but also a movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. The Khadi movement aimed at boycotting foreign goods and promoting Indian goods, thereby improving India's economy. Mahatma Gandhi began promoting the spinning of khadi for rural self-employment and self-reliance (instead of using cloth manufactured industrially in Britain) in 1920s India thus making khadi an integral part and icon of the Swadeshi movement. When some people complained about the costliness of khadi to Mahatma Gandhi, he started wearing only dhoti. Thus it symbolized the political ideas and independence itself, and The flag of India is only allowed to be made from this material. Manilal Kothari was president of the Gujarat Provincial Congress Committee, and a year earlier assisted in the distribution of salt after Gandhi’s infamous salt march, Manilal Kothari, and fifty five other volunteers were arrested at Viramgam, near Ahmedabad and their salt seized.&nbspThe Mahatma’s third son Ramdas and four others too were arrested at Bhimrad while gathering salt.