Bande Matram to Independence; An overview
By: Nishitha Mohandas
Bande Matram
The
Partition
of
Bengal
in
1905
created
widespread
protest
all
over
India.
Streets
of
Bengal
were
thronged
with
people
singing
Bankim
Chandra
Chatterjee's
'Bande
Matram'.
Nobel
laureate
Rabindranath
Tagore
also
supported
the
movement.
People
had
boycott
foreign
goods
and
adopted
swadeshi
goods.
Through the idea of partition, British succeeded in introducing the 'Divide and Rule' in India, which ultimately divided the sub-continent in to India and Pakistan. But, however, in 1911 because of the mass protest British were forced to withdraw the partition.
The year 1907 saw a split in Indian National Congress. The party split into two halves: the Garam Dal of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, or Extremists and the Naram Dal of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, or Moderates.
First World War
The beginning of First World War in 1914 brought a new turn to India's freedom movement. India made significant contribution to Britain's efforts in World War I. This boosted the Indian demands towards the British. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was released on 16 June, 1914, after 6 years of rigorous imprisonment. Along with Annie Besant, Subramaniya Iyer, Tilak started the Home Rule League movement in 1916.
Arrival of Mahatma
Indian Freedom struggle entered a new phase with the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi. Indians joined the British Indian Army in large numbers as a response to Gandhi's call to help the British in World War I. The War ended in 1918. British responded to the Indian contribution to World War I by introducing the Rowlatt Act in 1919. This act enabled the British to arrest anyone without trial or conviction.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
People protested peacefully against this law. On April 13th, 1919, thousands of people gathered peacefully to protest against Rowlatt Act in Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar of Punjab. British troops under General Dyer closed the only entry to the Bagh and fired ruthlessly at the peaceful gathering, massacring thousands of innocent people.
Non-Cooperation Movement
Jallianwala Bagh massacre led to the Non-Cooperation Movement under the leadership of Gandhi. This was the first country wide movement against British. It began with returning the honorary title given by the British. Indian members boycott the legislatures, people resigned from government jobs, students left educational institutions, boycott foreign clothes and burned. Khadi became a symbol of freedom. By 1921, all the important leaders, other than Mahatma Gandhi were in jail. The 1922 Chauri Chaura incident made Gandhi realise that people were not yet ready for a peaceful struggle for freedom. So he called off the mass campaign of Civil Disobedience. He was arrested and sentenced for two years imprisonment.
Rise of Socialism
In 1923, Swaraj Party was founded by Chittranjan Das and Motilal Nehru. A major landmark in the history of local self-government in India is the introduction of Calcutta Municipal Act of 1923. The Swaraj Party advocated for Dominion status for India. In 1924, Gandhi was elected as the President of Indian National Congress. Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India became the first women President of Indian National Congress in 1925
Simon Commission
British government appointed a commission under Sir John Simon, popularly known as Simon Commission, in 1927. Indians welcomed the commission with protest slogans like 'Simon Go Back' as there was not a single member in the commission who was appointed to look in to the political developments in India. Lala Lajpat Rai died as a result of the brutal lathicharge by the British towards this demonstration.
The period of 1920s&30s saw the growth of Revolutionary movement in India. In 1928, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HRSA), with socialism as its goal, was formed.
Lord Irwin promised Dominion Status for India in 1929. This year also saw the rise of Jawaherlal Nehru. Under Nehru, in the Lahore session of Congress, the resolution 'Poorna Swaraj' was adopted. Same year the Tiranga or Indian tricolour was unfurled.
Civil Disobedience Movement and Dandhi March
The Civil Disobedience movement was started in 1930. India celebrated First Independence Day on Jan 26, 1930. On March 30, 1930, Gandhi marched from Sabarmathi ashram to Dandhi to break the salt law. This is known as the Dandhi March.
Three Round Table Conferences occured between the period 1930-1932. Gandhi signed the Gandhi-Irwin pact of March 1931.
Brave Revolutionaries
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, great three young revolutionaries were executed in 1931. Their slogans 'Inquilab Sindabad', and songs such as 'Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hain', 'Mera rang de basanti chola' became popular all over India. These young revolutionaries became inspiration to millions of youth in India.
Chandrasekhar Azad, the revolutionary guru, continued to organise revolutionary youth. But he was betrayed on Feb 27, 1931. He refused to surrender and shot himself. 1930s also saw women revolutionaries participating in freedom struggle. In Nagaland, Rani Gaidilita, a 13 year old girl raised a flag against British and was sentenced for life imprisonment in 1932.
In 1935 the Government of India Act was passed in the British Parliament. This created an All-Indian Federation based on provincial autonomy. The Congress swept the polls in 1937.
Subhash Chandra Bose
The period between 1933-36 saw Subhash Chandra Bose rising as a prominent leader in freedom movement. During this period he tried to get help from many European leaders for India in her struggle for freedom against the British. In 1938, Bose was elected as the President of Indian National Congress. Subhash Chandra Bose brought many new ideas in to Congress. He was for rapid action to bring freedom for India unlike Gandhi and Nehru, who were for slow and peaceful struggle.
Bose left Congress in 1939 and formed a new party called the All India Forward bloc. The Second World War (WWII) broke out in the same year. Beginning of the WWII hastened the end of British rule in India. Congress demanded Self Determination if India should help British in WWII. But British refused this demand.
Through the partition of Bengal in 1905 British succeeded in creating a rift between Hindus and Muslims in India. The Indian National Muslim League took up this idea of separate Muslim nation. It adopted the demand for Pakistan in its Lahore session in 1940.
Quit India
Cripps Mission, lead by Sir Stafford Cripps, on September 1942 promised Dominion status to India but refused immediate transfer of power. Indians refused this and the famous Quit India resolution was passed. It was at this time Gandhi called Indians to Do or Die for the cause of nation's freedom.
September 1, 1942, saw the birth of Indian National Army (INA), also called the Azad Hind Fauj, under the leadership of Subhash Chandra Bose. His slogan 'Tum mujhe khoon do, Main tumhe azadi dunga' inspired thousands of youth to join freedom movement. With the defeat of Japan and Germany in the WWII, INA was forced to retreat to Kohima. Bose escaped to Japan and some reports say he died in an air-crash while others say he survived the air crash. His ultimate fate remains unknown till date.
Formation Of Pakistan
Gandhiji was against the partition of India in to two nations. On September 19, 1944, Gandhi-Jinnah talks began in Bombay over the partition of India and creation of Pakistan. The talk ended in 1944 without any conclusion.
Cabinet Mission Plan was formed in 1946 to end the crisis between Congress and Muslim League over the formation of Pakistan. But the Muslim League stayed away from the Cabinet Plan and stood for direct action to achieve Pakistan. On December 6 of the same year, Indian National Congress started framing the Constitution of India. Lord Mount Batten came to India in 1947 as the last Viceroy and the first Governor General of India. British announced that it would transfer power to India in June 1948. Muhammad Ali Jinnah insisted on creation of separate country for Indian Muslims. Congress also agreed for the partition. Gandhiji, who was against partition, agreed in order to stop violence in the nation.
Indian
Independence
Mount
Batten
prepared
the
plan
for
the
partition
of
India
and
announced
it
on
June
3,
1947.
The
Congress
and
Muslim
League
agreed
and
India
was
declared
Independent
on
August
15,
1947
and
also
Pakistan
was
formed.
Jawahar
Lal
Nehru
became
the
first
Prime
Minister
of
India.
Violence didn't stopped even after partition. Large number of Hindus were killed and many were forced to convert to Islam in Pakistan. Many Muslims were also killed in India. The Muslim population of India was larger than the Muslim population of Independent Pakistan.
India received Independence with massive blood shed. 1947 also saw the Indo-Pakistan war and the integration of nearly 500 princely states to India. Majority of the princely states were integrated to India because of the strong diplomacy and political tactics of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
Death
of
Mahatma
In
pursuit
of
freedom
we
lost
our
Father
of
the
Nation,
Mahatma
Gandhi.
He
was
assassinated
by
a
religious
fanatic
Nathuram
Godse
on
January
30,
1948.
Integration Of Kingdoms
Junagadh, Hyderabad were integrated to India forcefully after negotiations failed with these princely states. The fight for Kashmir in the far north of the subcontinent lead to the Indo-Pak war in 1947, which lasted till 1949.
Indian
Constitution
The
Constitution
of
India
was
passed
by
the
Constituent
Assembly
of
India
on
November
26,
1949,
and
came
into
effect
on
January
26,
1950.
It
is
the
longest
written
constitution
of
any
independent
nation
in
the
world,
containing
395
articles
and
12
schedules,
as
well
as,
numerous
amendments,
for
a
total
of
117,369
words
in
the
English
language
version.
The first general election in India was held in 1952 under the Indian Constitution. The India National Congress won overall majority. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India and Dr Rajendra Prasad the first President.
The Parliament passed many reformative measures like increasing the legal rights of women in Hindu society. Nehru advocated a socialist model for the economy of India - no taxation for Indian farmers, minimum wage and benefits for blue-collar workers, and the nationalisation of heavy industries such as steel, aviation, shipping, electricity, mining and so on.
Thus, India became a full-fledged sovereign, socialist, republic nation under the eminent leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indian National Congress. To give us freedom thousands sacrificed their life!
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