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:
- The
Moderate led movement has failed to yield result.
- The
divisive tactics of the government of both the Bengal had embittered the
nationalist.
- 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.
|
