“But India cannot live for Lancashire or any other country before she is able to live for herself. And she can live for herself only if she produces and is helped to produce everything for her requirements within her own borders. She need not be, she ought not to be, drawn into the vertex of mad and ruinous competition which breeds fratricide, jealousy and many other evils. But who is to stop her great millionaires from entering into the world competition?”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: 'Third Class in Indian Railways' (1917); Gandhi on India producing for herself rather than joining ruinous global competition.
About this quote
A place stays healthy when it can feed and clothe itself before chasing distant markets. Endless rivalry for someone else's trade breeds envy and turns neighbors against each other; meeting your own needs first keeps you out of that scramble — though the people who profit from the rivalry rarely want it stopped.
When to use it
- A town that supports its own farms and workshops so it isn't left helpless when a distant supplier suddenly cuts it off.
- A household that grows some of its own food and repairs its own things instead of borrowing to keep up with the neighbors.
- A small business that serves its local customers well rather than bleeding cash to undercut chains in markets it can't reach.