The Indian National Movement (1917-34)
(The Trail)
A. Fill
in the blanks.
1.Gandhi
spent about 22 years in South Africa as a
practicing lawyer.
2. Under Gandhiji’s leadership,
the Indian National
Movement was transformed into a mass movement.
3. To protest against the arrest of their leaders, a
public
meeting was held at Jallianwala Bagh in
Amritsar in the year 1919.
4. After
the British brutalities in Amritsar, Gandhiji
declared
that it would be a sin to cooperate with
the ‘satanic’ government.
5. At the Lahore session of
the Congress in 1929,
‘Poorna Swaraj’ was declared as its goal.
B. Match the following.
=
|
A |
B |
|---|---|
|
1.
Gandhiji |
a. symbol
of swadeshi. [2] |
|
2. Charkha |
b. boycott
of British goods. [4] |
|
3.
Jaliwanwala Bagh |
c. Salt
Satyagraha. [5] |
|
4.
Non-Cooperation Movement |
d. 13th April,
1919. [3] |
|
5. Dandi
March |
e. truth
and non-violence. [1] |
C.
Choose the correct answer.
1. Gandhiji
studied law in England/South
Africa/France.
2. Gandhiji organized a workers strike against the exploitative Indian mill owners in Ahmadabad/Kheda/Champaran.
3. The
Non-Cooperation Movement was launched by Gandhiji in 1920/1930/1940.
4. A
resolution declaring ‘Poorna Swaraj’ was declared as its goal at the Lahore/Surat/Bombay
session of the Congress.
5. The Non-Cooperation Movement/Civil Disobedience Movement/Quit India Movement was started with the Salt Satyagraha in 1930.
D.
State whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Gandhiji did not have faith in the capacity of the common masses. [F]
2. In 1919, General Dyer had issued an order banning all public meetings. [T]
3. The Non-Cooperation Movement had ended in failure after the Chauri Chaura incident. [T]
4. Independence Day was celebrated on 26th January in 1930. [T]
5. Sarojini Naidu was one of the leaders of the Civil Disobedience Movement. [T]
E. Answer the following questions in one or two words/sentences.
1. What technique of resistance did Gandhiji evolve in South Africa? What was its basic principle?
=
Gandhiji became the leader of a struggle against racial injustice in South
Africa. During the struggle, he evolved a technique known as Satyagraha which
was later applied to the Indian national movement.
Satyagraha
is a combination of two Sanskrit words – Satya (truth) and Agraha (eagerness).
Satyagraha is based on the twin principle of truth and non-violence.
2. Why did Gandhiji lead campaigns in a a) Champaran b) Kheda?
= a) Gandhiji championed the cause of the tenant farmers of Champaran district against the oppression and exploitation of the British indigo planters.
b) Gandhi advised and convinced the cultivators of Kheda district to stop paying land revenue to the government because the crops had failed.
3. Which incident mark the end of the Non-Cooperation Movement and when?
= Early in 1922, a procession of peasants was fired upon by the police at Chauri Chaura, a village in Uttar Pradesh. The people reacted violently and burnt down the Chauri Chaura police station. Twenty-two policemen were killed. Gandhiji immediately called off the movement.
4. Under whose leadership was the Lahore session of the Congress held in 1929? What resolution was passed in this session?
= Under Jawaharlal Nehru, the Lahore session of the
congress was held in 1929.
The Congress passed a resolution declaring ‘Poorna Swaraj’ or ‘Complete Independence’ as its goal.
5. What do you understand by the Civil Disobedience
Movement?
= The Civil Disobedience Movement was a form of non-cooperation, involving the breaking of government laws.
F. Answer the questions in details.
1. With reference to Gandhiji, discuss his views on the following issues:
a.
Truth and non-violence:
=
A Satyagrahi was one who firmly believes in truth and non-violence and who
would resist evil at all costs. A Satyagrahi was peaceful, fearless and strong.
She/he would hate evil but not the ‘evil-doer’. In the fight for justice and
truth, the Satyagrahi would willingly accept suffering and be ready to make
sacrifices.
Gandhiji insisted on non-violent methods of struggle. He believed that non-violence was the weapon of the strong and could be effectively used to resist armed attacks by the enemy. A Satyagrahi was expected to follow peaceful methods even under extreme provocation.
b. Hindu Muslim Unity:
= Gandhiji was a devout Hindu and a passionate believer in the equality of all religions. He wrote, ‘Indian culture is neither Hindu, Islamic nor any other, wholly. It is a fusion of all’.
He was convinced that the path to India’s salvation lay in Hindu-Muslim unity. Gandhiji lived and died for the Hindu-Muslim unity.
c. Social justice:
= Gandhiji was a great believer in social justice. He championed the cause of the poor and the downtrodden, the emancipation of women and improvement of the conditions of the lower caste ‘untouchables’ whom he called ‘Harijans’, i.e. children of God. He worked tirelessly to remove prejudices and change the mindset of the people. He believed that political freedom was meaningless without social reforms. Laws would be effective only if there was a change of heart.
2. In the context of the Jaliwanwala Bagh tragedy, answer the following questions:
a. Why was a public meeting held in Jaliwanwala Bagh on 13 April 1919?
= To protest against the arrest of their leaders, a public meeting was held on 13th April 1919 in an enclosed space known as Jaliwanwala Bagh.
b. Why did the troops open fire on the gathering? What happened as a result of the shooting?
= The people who were at the gathering were unarmed and peaceful. Unfortunately, they were not aware that military commander of Amritsar, General Dyer, had issued an order banning all public meetings.
General
Dyre surrounded the Bagh with his troops, blocked the only exit and ordered the
troops to open fire on the peaceful gathering in the Bagh.
The shooting continued till there was no ammunition left. Nearby 400 people were killed and over 1000 were injured.
c. How did the entire nation and Gandhiji react to the events in
Amritsar?
= The brutality of the Jaliwanwala Bagh massacre and the humiliation and inhuman treatment of the Indians that followed shocked the entire nation.
Gandhiji was horrified. He lost all faith in the goodness of the British government and declared that it would be a sin to cooperate with the ‘satanic’ government.
3. In
the context of the Non-Cooperation Movement, answer the following questions:
a. Discuss
the programme of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
=
The programme of non-cooperation and the methods of resistance were as follows:
Boycott
of foreign goods.
Boycott
of government schools, colleges, law courts, legislature and all British
institutions.
Boycott
of elections and government functions.
Renunciation of titles and honours awarded by the British.
b. Why
did Gandhiji abruptly suspend the Non-Cooperation Movement?
= The atmosphere of Non-Cooperation Movement was charged with enthusiasm, determination and confidence. However, an unfortunate incident changed all that. Early in 1922, a procession of peasants was fired upon by the police at Chauri Chaura, a village in Uttar Pradesh. The people reacted violently and burnt down the Chauri Chaura police station. Twenty-two policemen were killed. Gandhiji immediately called off the movement.
c. State the significance of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
= The Non-Cooperation Movement had ended in failure, but the national spirit had been strengthened. Gandhiji withdrew from active politics and devoted himself to the task of social reform.
4. In the context of the Civil Disobedience Movement, answer the following questions:
a. Give an account of the Salt Satyagraha.
= The Salt Satyagraha began with the historic Dandi March. Gandhiji set out from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers, on a 385 km journey to the coastal village of Dandi. Thousands of people joined him on the way.
Upon his arrival in Dandi, he picked up a handful of salt from the beach. This act symbolized defiance of the salt law. It was a signal for every Indian to violate the salt law. Throughout India, people began to manufacture salt and sell it openly.
b. How did the government react to the movement?
= The government suppressed the movement with force and brutality. Gandhiji, Nehru and all other important leaders were arrested. Hundreds of people were injured or killed in lathi charges and police firing. Over 90,000 people were imprisoned.
c. What
impact did the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34) have on the nation?
= The Movement spread rapidly. Civil Disobedience extends to violation of other laws and refusal to pay taxes. It included boycott of foreign goods, hartals, demonstrations and picketing of shops selling foreign goods.