The Swadeshi Movement & the Partition of Bengal: Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) | History for UPSC CSE PDF Download

THE SWADESHI MOVEMENT AND THE PARTITION OF BENGAL

• The callousness and repression of the Anglo-lndian bureaucracy,
• Frustration and disillusionment among the nationalists at the British attitude in initiating political reforms,
• The rising aspirations of the edu­cated class,
• The growth of discontent in in­dustrial sectors, and
• A great political idealism, gener­ated by the teachings of Vivekanand, Dayananda, Bankim Chandra, Tilak, Pal, Aurobindo and other leaders and writers.
  

• With the start of the Swadeshi movement, the Indian National move­ment took a major leap forward.
• Women, students and a large section of the urban and rural popula­tion of Bengal and other parts of India became actively involved in politics for the first time.
• The day partition took effect on 16 October 1905 and was declared a day of mourning throughout Bengal. In Calcutta a hartal was declared.
• People took out processions and bathed in the Ganges in the morning and then paraded the streets singing Bande Mataram.
• People tied rakhis on each other’s hands as a symbol of unity of the two halves of Bengal. Later in the day Ananda Mohan Bose and S.N. Banerjee addressed two huge mass meetings .
• The message of Swadeshi and the boycott of foreign goods soon spread to the rest of the country.
• The INC took up the Swadeshi call and the Banaras Session, 1905, presided by Gokhale, supported the Swadeshi and boycott movement for Bengal .
• The militant nationalists led by Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai were, how­ever, in favour of extending the move­ment to the rest of India and carrying it beyond the programme of just Swadeshi and boycott to a full-fledged political mass struggle.
• The aim was now Swaraj and the abrogation of partition had become the ‘pettiest and narrowest of all politi­cal objects.

The Political demands of the Mod­erate leaders included:

• Increase in the employment of Indians to civil services.
• Separation of judicial and ex­ecutive functions.
• Extension of trial by jury.
• Expansion of membership of leg­islative bodies.
• Repeal of the Sedition Act of 1898.
• Expansion of education, espe­cially technical education.
• Grant of commissions in the army and military training to the people.
• Simultaneous examination for the ICS in England and India.
• The political techniques of the Mod­erate leaders can be thus summarized as:
• Articulation of political con­sciousness in the literate classes.
• Petitioning to the authorities and holding meetings.
• Demanding administrative re­forms and the termination of anti-popu­lar legislation like the one effectuating the partition of Bengal.
• Using the electoral machinery to get into the Legislative Council
• Sending deputation to England to prevent the Indian point of view before the members of Parliament and the bar of the British public opinion.

Compromise:
 (i) Swaraj declared goal of Congress.
 (ii) Resolution on Boycott, Swadeshi and National Edu­cation passed.

• Surat Congress Session in Dec. 1907: Extremists wanted 
  (i) The session at Nagpur 
  (ii) Lajpat Rai as Con­gress President, and 
  (iii) Reiteration of resolutions on Boycott, Swadeshi and National Education. 
• Moderates wanted:-
  (i) The session at Surat, 
  (ii) Rash Behari Ghosh as President, and 
  (iii) To drop the resolutions on Boycott, Swadeshi and National Education.

[Intext Question]

Outcome of the Surat split was:

• With Government encour­agement Moderates adopted an uncom­promising attitude.
• Pandemonium at Surat and ses­sion adjourned.
• Moderates captured the Con­gress in April, 1908 and adopted a loyalist constitution for the Congress.
• Extremists eclipsed from national forums.
• Even Moderates suffered disillu­sionment and lost popularity with the masses.

Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909

• Reasons due to which this Act was passed can be summed up as:
• Indian dissatisfaction with Act of 1892.
• Extremists in the Congress ad­vocated the policy of pressure to win political rights. The Indian council Act, 1892 did not satisfy even the Moder­ates.
• Curzon’s reactionary policies and partition of Bengal awoke the latent national consciousness of Indians.
• Economic distress and famines alienated the people from British rule.
• Minto’s plan was to placate po­litical unrest by a dose of political re­forms.

• Government’s plan was to use political reforms as a device to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims through communal electorates.
• Important provisions can be summed up as:
• Legislative Councils both at the Centre and in the provinces were ex­panded.
• Total strength of Central Legislative Council was raised to 68 (Gover­nor General + 7 Executive Councillors + 60 additional members). Term of ‘ad­ditional’ members was to be 3 years.
• Regulations provided qualifica­tions both for candidates for election and for voters. Women, minors, per­sons below age of 25 years could not vote.
• Powers of Central Legislative Councils was enlarged. Members could discuss annual financial statement, pro­pose resolutions, but Budgets as a whole was not subject to vote of Leg­islative Council. Members could ask questions and supplementary questions on matters of public interest.
• Non-officials were to be in ma­jority in Provincial Legislatures.
• For the first time, system of class and communal electorates was introduced in Legislative Councils.
• Number of members of Provin­cial Executive Councils of Bengal, Ma­dras and Bombay was raised to 4 each.

THE HOME RULE MOVEMENT

• Mrs. Besant’s Home Rule League was estab-lished on 1 Sept., 1916. It was established outside the Congress but was not opposed to its policies.
• Its Programme of Action was very much similar to that of Moderate leaders i.e.
• holding of frequent meetings.
• arranging lecture tours to arouse the people.
• distribution of Home Rule litera­ture.
• propaganda in India, London and U.S.A.
• two newspapers were started in 1914-Commonwealth and New India.
• Its area of activity was the whole of India minus Maharashtra and C.P.
• Tilak’s Home Rule League was founded on 28 April, 1916.    Its cen­tres of activities were Maharashtra and C. P. It worked in cooperation with Besant’s Home Rule League
• Government attitude was bellig­erent. In July, 1916 the Government instituted a libel case against Tilak. And in June, 1917 Mrs. Besant and her two colleagues were arrested. Restric­tions were imposed on newspapers.
• Slackening of Home Rule Movement was due to the following factors:
• Mrs. Besant’s opposition to policy of Passive Resistance.
• Montague’s announcement in British Parliament about Responsible Government in India on 20 Aug., 1917.
• Government’s policy of suppres­sion.

Achievements

• It filled an important stage in the development of national struggle.
• It broadened the base of the national movement. Women and stu­dents participated in its activities.
• Mrs. Besant and Tilak came in forefront of national politics.
• The League did propaganda for self-government at international forums.
• For the first times idea of use of Passive Resistance was mooted so strongly.