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Indian Ethnicity and Religious Heritage
of Ahmedabad. Within two years of his arrival in India he was faced with a problem of industrial unrest as there arose a dispute between mill owners and labour for increase in wages. It was an admitted position that labour had a good case for increase in wages. Their demand was for the increase of 50 p.c. but the owners were not ready to give an increase of more than 20 p.c. Gandhiji studied the the standpoints of both the sides, the standard of living both at Bombay and Ahmedabad as well as the wage structure and the paying capacity of the employers and concluded that the increase of 35 p.c. was justified. The mill owners were, however, not inclined to agree. Gandhiji advised. labour to go on strike under strict conditions of remaining non violent and doing nothing to damage the property of the owners. The mill owners in their turn declared lockouts. The labour remained Jobless for longer period than expected and some of them began to lose faith in strike. To tone up their morale Gandhiji went on fast for indefinite period. Within three days parties came to a settlement
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