Sunday, December 9, 2018

Modern-History-Part2-Pg 19-28

 Page 19
RISE OF REVOLUTIONARY IDEOLOGY
The sudden suspension of NCM shattered the high hopes of many. They had grown out of the patient constructive work of no-changers, neither were they attracted to the parliamentary politics of Swarajists. They were convinced that violent methods alone would free India.
Major leaders
 Surya Sen
 Jatin Das
 Chandrasekhar Azad
 Bhagat Singh
 Sukhdev
Two major strands of revolutionary activities:
Northern Revolutionaries
 In 1924, Hindustan Republic Army was founded
Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was a revolutionary organization of India established in 1924 at village Bholachang in East Bengal by Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Narendra Mohan Sen and Pratul Ganguly as an offshoot of Anushilan Samiti.
Objective and Tactics
 The Objective of the HRA was to establish “Federated Republic of the United States of India” through an organized armed revolution”
 The tactics of HRA were killing the officials; organize political dacoties to raise funds, terrorism among the British and British loyalists and strikes against the raj.
 Despite being a revolutionary organization, the perspective of the HRA was socialistic and it wanted to establish a United States of India by deposing the British.
 The idea attracted the young champions; some immediately joined the organization were Bhagat Singh, ChandraShekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and many others. The first organized ‘crime’ of this group was the Kakori Train Conspiracy.
 1925 – Kakori Robbery
 Ram Prasad bismill , Ashfaqulla Roshan Singh and Rajendra Lahri hanged
 Then came Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Azad etc
 Reformed HRA has HSRA (S = Socialist)

 Page 20
After the Kakori conspiracy, 5 members were sentenced to death. Other members either were sent for long imprisonments or deported for life.
Chandrasekhar led the remaining revolutionaries and on September 9-10, 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla Maidan of Delhi and he along with Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Batukeshwar Dutt, and Rajguru founded the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association or the Garam Dal. In 1928, assassinated Saunders, as a revenge for Lala Lajpat’s death while protesting against Simon Commission.
This HSRA brought out a Manifesto known as “Philosophy of the Bomb“. This manifesto was written by Bhagawathi Charan Vohra.
 Threw bomb in Central LA in 1929 to protest against Public Safety Bill and Trade Dispute Bill and later hanged in 1931
Impact
 Their soul stirring slogans like ‘Inquilab zindabad’ and ‘mera rang de basanti chola’ won them support and sympathy of people all over the country – something even Congressmen were not able to achieve
 They talked the talk of masses. Bhagat Singh became a household name
 Objective was to set an example before the youth and they fulfilled it completely

 Page 21
Bengal Revolutionaries – Chittagong Uprising
 Led by Surya Sen
 Action plan – Seizing of two main armouries in Chittagong, dislocation of railway lines and destruction of telephone and telegraph systems
 Large scale participation of women
 Provided shelter, acted as messengers, custodians of arms and fought gun in hand when required

 Page 22
Bhagat Singh – shift towards Socialism
 A voracious reader, was one of the most well-read political leaders of the time
 In 1929 he had turned to Marxism and believed that popular broad based mass movements alone would lead to a sustained and successful revolution
 He established Punjab Naujawan Sabha in 1926 – to carry out political work among the youth, peasants and workers. He delivered lectures and organized student unions
 Despite his ideological shift, he went ahead with CLA bombing which shows his commitment to the Nationalist movement. His only aim for going ahead was to mobilize youth through ‘propaganda by deed’

 Page 23
SIMON COMMISSION
Background
 Boycott of the Commission because No Indian was on its board – which claimed the right to decide the political future of India
 It recommended abolition of Dyarchy in the provinces
 Congress resolved on the boycott in 1927 Madras Session of INC
 Nehru Jr. and Subhash Bose emerged as the leaders of this movement
 British government in support of Simon Commission harped on the inability of the Indian to formulate a concrete scheme of constitutional reforms

 Page 24
 As a response, Nehru Sr. authored the “Nehru Report” – which defined Dominion status as the form of government desired by India
o It also rejected principle of separate communal electorate instead demanded joint electorate for Hindu and Muslims
o Reservation of seats for muslims only in areas where they were in minority and also at the centre
o It recommended universal suffrage, equal right to women, 19 fundamental rights such as freedom to form unions and dissociation of states from religion
o Muslim League rejected the Report and Jinnah came out with “Fourteen Points” (Muslim League was unwilling to give up the cushion of separate electorates)
o Young radicals like Nehru Jr. wanted Complete Independence “Poorna Swaraj”
1929 – Declaration of Poorna Swaraj
 Lord Irwin conveyed to Gandhi that Dominion Status is not guaranteed despite showing interest as early as 1917
 Nehru Report was ignored
 At Lahore session – Poorna Swaraj was declared as the goal of INC on 26th January 1930
 President was Nehru Jr.

 Page 25
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT -1930
Reasons:
 Adoption of Poorna Swaraj at 1929 Lahore Session of Congress
 Nehru Report for ‘Dominion Status’ ignored
 Failure of First Round Table Conference in 1929
Why Salt?

 Page 26
 Only Salt like water affects each and everyone
 The tax was considered the most inhuman form of poll tax
 It would mobilize everyone unlike anything
 CDM adopted the background of breaking the salt law by Indians
 Gandhi took the historic Dandi March to break the law
 In TN, C Rajagopalachari led a salt march, K. Kelappan in Malabar, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan in North West Frontier
 Hence, salt law breaking became a pan India movement
Features:
 From salt law breaking , it became a No-Tax Movement
 In East India – refusal to pay Chowkidara Tax
 In Kheda and Bardoli – refusal to pay land revenue
 Defiance of forest laws in Maharashtra
 No-Revenue No-Rent campaign in UP
 Variety of forms of mobilization
o Prabhat Pheras where nationalist songs were sung
o Magic Lanterns to take the nationalist message to village
o Children were organized into Vanar Sena
Government Response:
 Announced unconditional release of Gandhi
 Viceroy reiterated the goal of Dominion Status to be discussed at a Round Table Conference
 Signed Gandhi-Irwin Pact -1931
1. Withdraw all ordinances and end prosecutions
2. Release all political prisoners, except those guilty of violence
3. Permit peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops
4. Restore confiscated properties of the satyagrahis
5. Permit free collection or manufacture of salt by persons near the sea-coast
6. Lift the ban over the congress.
7. Call off CDM
Impact of Gandhi Irwin Pact:
 Some saw it as a betrayal of Indian public and proof of vacillating nature of Indian Bourgeoisie and Gandhi succumbing to Bourgeoisie
 But again they failed to understand – mass movements are short lived

 Page 27
Impact of CDM
 Participation of Muslims was nowhere near that in NCM – Separate Electorates did the trick. Except for North West Frontier – Khan Abdul Gaffar
 New forms of protest – law breaking, jail going.
 Massive support from the poor base
 Signing of Irwin Pact
Karachi Session 1931 (March)
 Resolution on FR and National Economic Programme
 Presided by Sardar Patel
 Gandhi-Irwin pact was endorsed
 Guaranteed basic civil rights of free speech , free press, free assembly and freedom of association, equality before law irrespective caste, creed or sex, neutrality of state in regards to religion, universal adult franchise, free and compulsory education
 Also promised substantial reduction in rent and revenue, relief to agricultural workers and better condition for wage workers
End of CDM
 II Round Table Conference between British Government and Gandhi failed on the issue of Dominion Status
 Gandhi arrested upon return
 Movement crushed brutally by 1934
Ramsay McDonald Communal Award – 1932
 The award allotted to each minority a number of seats in the legislature to be elected on the basis of a separate electorate (eg Muslims to be elected by muslims only)
 Gandhi took the view that it’ll keep depressed classes perpetually depressed
 All social reforms undertaken will come to a halt
 Gandhi went on a fast unto death
 Finally at Poona Pact – Separate Electorates for Depressed Class were abandoned
o Signed between Gandhi and Ambedkar
o Separate Electorate for Depressed Classes was dropped
o Reserved seats for depressed classes increased in provincial and central legislature
Removal of Untouchability – Gandhi
 Founded Harijan Sewak Sangh
 Took Harijan tour

 Page 28
 Major thrust area – throwing open of restricted areas such as temples
 He criticized that untouchability had no place in Indian Shastras
 His campaign attacked by orthodox groups who supported government
Round Table
Notes
1930
 Congress did not participate
 Ambedkar demanded separate electorate for depressed class
1931
 Congress took part. Nothing came out
1932
 Congress did not take part

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