The Swadeshi & BoyCott Movement (1905)

The Swadeshi & Boycott Movement 

The Swadeshi Movement had its genesis in the anti-partition movement which was started to oppose the British decision to partition of Bengal.

Partition of Bengal to divide people: 

• In December 1903, British government to decide the partition of Bengal. 
• The official reason given for the decision was that Bengal with a population of 78 million (about a quarter of total population of British India). 
• But the real motive was the British desire to weaken Bengal because the Centre of Indian nationalism was Bengal. 
• Two administration by dividing them-  

• On the basis of language (reducing the Bengali to a minority in Bengal itself as in the new proposal Bengal proper was have 17 million Bengalis & 37 million Hindu & Oriya speakers). 

• On the basis of the religion as the western half was to be a Hindu majority area (42 million out of total 54 million). 

•  Trying to woo the Muslim, Curzon argued that Dacca could become the capital of new Muslim majority provinces. 

   Anti-Partition Campaign Under Moderate – (1903-05) 

• During this period, the leadership were like Surrendranath Banerjee, K.K. Mitra & Prithwishchandra Ray. 
• The method adopted were petitions to the government, public meetings, memoranda & propaganda through pamphlets & newspaper such as Hitabadi, Sanjibani & Bengalee. 
• Their objective was to exert sufficient pressure on the government through an educated public opinion in India. 
• England to prevent the unjust partition of Bengal from being implemented. 
• When the government announced partition of Bengal. Then protest meetings were held in small towns all over Bengal then, that the pledge to boycott foreign goods was first taken. 
• On August 7, 1905 with the passage of Boycott resolution in a massive meeting held in Calcutta Townhall, the formal proclamation of Swadeshi Movement was made. 
• October 16, 1905 the day the partition formally came into force. That day people fasted, bathed in the Ganga & walked barefoot & singing BandeMatram {which almost spontaneously became the theme song of the movement}. 
•  People tied rakhis on each other’s hand as a symbol of unity of the two halves of Bengal. 
• Surrendranath Banerjee & Ananda Mohan Bose addressed huge gathering under nationwide banner within few hours collect Rs. 50,000 for the movement.

   The Congress’s Position-  

• The INC meeting in 1905 under the presidentship of Gokhale resolved to-   
• Condemn the partition of Bengal & the reactionary policies of Curzon. 
• Support the anti-partition & Swadeshi Movement of Bengal. 

• The Militant nationalist led by Tilak, Lala Lajapat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal & Aurobindo Ghosh wanted the movement to be taken outside of Bengal to other part of the country.  

• At that time, Congress session held at Calcutta in 1906 under the presidentship of Dadabhai Naroji decalred that the goal of Indian National Cingress was “self-government or swaraj” like United-Kingdom.

      The Movement Under Extremist Leaders: 

• After 1905, the extremist acquired a dominant influence over a Swadeshi Movement in Bengal. 
• There were three reason for this:  

1. The Moderate led movement has failed to yield result.
2. The divisive tactics of the government of both the Bengal had embittered the nationalist.
3. The govt. which included atrocities on student-

• many of whom were given corporal punishments.
• Ban on public singing of BandeMatram.
• restriction on public meeting.
• Long imprisonment of Swadeshi workers.
• clashes b/w the police & people in many towns.
• suppression of freedom of press.

     The Extremist programme: 

• Already Dadabhai Naoroji`s declared at the Calcutta session 1906, that self-government or swaraj was to be the goal of the congress. 
• The Extremist gave a call for addition to swadeshi & boycott which was include a boycott of govt. school & colleges; govt. services; govt. titles; courts; legislative council etc. 
• The militant nationalist transform to the anti-partition & swadeshi movement into a mass struggle & gave the slogan-

“Political freedom is the life breath of nation”.

The goal of independence was to be achieved through self-scarifies.

 New form of struggle: 

• The militant nationalist put forward several fresh ideas at the theoretical, propaganda & programme level. 
• The several forms of struggle thrown up by the movement were:
• boycott of foreign goods. 
• public meetings & procession. 
• Corps of volunteers or samitis. 
• Programme of swadeshi or national education. 
• Swadeshi or indigenous enterprises. 
• Impact in cultural sphere. 
• Imaginative use of traditional popular festivals & melas. 
• Emphasis given to self-reliance or ‘atma-shakti’.

          Programme of swadeshi or national education.

• Bengal National College inspired by Tagore’s Shantiniketan, was set up with Aurobindo Ghosh as its principal.
• On August 15, 1906 the National Council of Education were setup in organize a system of Education-
• Literally; scientific & technical on national line & under national control.
• Bengal Institutes of Technology was setup for technical education & funds were raised to send student to Japan for advance learning.

  Swadeshi or Indigenous enterprises:

• Establishment of Swadeshi textile mills; soap & match factories; tanneries; books; insurance companies; shops etc.
• The enterprises were based more on patriotic zeal than or business acumen.

Impact in cultural sphere:

• The nationalist of all hues took inspiration from songs written by Rabindranath Tagore; Rajnikant Sen; Dwijendra Pal; Mukunda Das; SyedAbu Mohammad & others.
• Tagore’s Amar Sonar Bangla written on this occasion was later to inspire the liberation struggle of Bangladesh & adopted to its national Anthem.
• In painting, Abandiranath tagore (Painting of Bharat Mata), broke the domination of Victorian naturalism over Indian art & took inspiration from Mughal, Ajanta & Rajput Paintings.

 “Indian society of Oriental Art”, founded in 1907.

• In science, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Profullchandra Roy & other pioneered original research which was praised the world over.

: Extent of Mass Participation:

Student came out in large numbers to propagate & practice swadeshi & take a lead in organizing picketing of shops selling foreign goods.

Govt. announced student who were found guilty of participation were to be disqualified for government jobs & government scholarship, & disciplinary action- fine; expulsion; arrest; beating etc. was to be taken against them.

Home-centered women, especially those of urban middle classes, took active part in processions & picketing.

Some of the Muslim participated- Barrister, Abdul Rasul, Liaqat Hussain, Guznavi, Maulana Azad {who joined one of the revolutionary terrorist group.}

Most of upper & middle class Muslim led by Nawab Sallimullah of Dacca, supported tha partition on the plea {Muslim majority East Bengal}.

The working class organized the strikes in British owned concerns such as Eastern India Railway.

To further government interests, All India Muslim League was propped up in 1907 as an Anti-congress party front & reactionary element like Nawab Sallimullah of Dacca were encouraged.

Annulment (Cancel) of Partition

It was decided to cancel the partition of Bengal in 1911 mainly to menace of revolutionary terrorism.

The Cancellation came as a rude shock to the Muslim Political elite.

It was also decided to shift the capital to Delhi, it was associated with Muslim glory, and the Muslim wasn’t pleased.

Bihar & Orissa was taken out of Bengal & Assam was made a separate province.

 

Evaluation of Swadeshi Movement

The Movement fizzles out-

By 1908, the open phase of the movement was almost over.

This was due to many reasons:  

• There was severe government repression. 
• The movement was leaderless with most of the leader either arrested or departed from country by 1908 & with Aurbindo Ghosh & Bipin Chandra Pal retiring from active politics. 
• Internal fight among leaders magnified by Surat Split (1907) did much harm to the movement. 
• The movement largely remained confined to the upper, middle class & zamindars & failed to reach the masses- especially the peasantry. 
• It is difficult to sustain a mass based movement at a high pitch for too long.

Moderates	Extremist
Social base Zamindars & upper middle class in towns.	Social base educated middle & lower middle classes in towns
Ideological inspiration western liberal thought & European history.	Ideological inspiration Indian History, cultural heritage & Hindu traditional symbols.
Loyalty to the British govt.	Believed that the British Crown was unworthy of claiming Indian loyalty.
Demanded constitutional reforms & share for Indians in service.	Demanded Swaraj as the panacea for India ills.
They were patriots & didn’t play the role of a comprador class.	They were patriot who made sacrifices for the sake of the country.