26.02.

2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

Ithihas
Kaleidoscope of Indian civilization

In this blog you will find

Monthly Archives: May 2009
Writeups on Indian historical
themes and Biographies of
rulers and statesmen.
HISTORY OF FREEDOM MOVEMENT-5
May 24, 2009 – 7:00 am
Blogroll
Gandhiji and the Belgaum Congress session
facetsofindianhistory
Sanatana Parishad On February 5th 1924, Gandhiji was released from prison following an operation
Thinkerspad for appendicitis. The Hindu-Muslim cooperation for which he had striven so
zealously had nearly vanished. With the abolition of Khilafat in Turkey, no
inducement was left for majority of the Indian Muslims to cooperate with the
Archives Hindus. The Muslim League eclipsed during the Khilafat agitation found a
breathing space once again. Thus with the passage of time the discord between
February 2018
the Hindus and the Muslims began to appear and communal riots occurred at
January 2018
regular intervals. To expiate for the sins of his erring countrymen, Gandhiji
October 2017 undertook a fast of 21 days from September 18 to October 8. This was his
August 2017 desperate effort to solve the communal tangle. The Council entry programme of
June 2017 the Swarajists was not to the liking of Gandhiji. But the circumstances as they
May 2017 were, it was impossible for anybody to bring back the masses to an active non-
March 2017 cooperation and therefore as sort of compromise was reached. The Congressmen
October 2016
were given freedom to decide for themselves either to work for the Council entry or
to carry on the constructive work outside the Council. It was in this background that
June 2016
Gandhiji presided over the Belgaum session in December 1924 with the objective
January 2016
of restoring unity between Congressmen who were for Council entry and those
November 2015 against it and between Hindus and Muslims. Removal of untouchability and spread
August 2015 of Chakra and Khadi were the other objectives.
June 2015
February 2015 A Historic session: The Belgaum Congress session was a momentous event and
January 2015 the enthusiasm of the Kannadigas knew no bounds, as it was the only Congress
September 2014
session in which Gandhiji presided. The venue where the session was held, named
Vijayanagara and the entrance gate was designed like the Gopura of the
June 2014
Virupaksha temple at Hampi. The huts for visitors and the delegates were built with
May 2014 Khadi and had bamboo roofs. For the supply of water round the clock a tank,
April 2014 Pampa Sarovara was constructed. To feed the participants, a huge kitchen was set
March 2014 up and thousands of lanterns and petromax light were brought from Bombay for
December 2013 lighting purpose. Volunteers of Hindustan Seva Dal, trained by N.S.Hardikar were
November 2013 looking after the arrangements and attending the comforts of the visitors.
October 2013
When Gandhiji along with the Ali brothers, Sarojini Naidu, Jawaharlal Nehru,
September 2013
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and a host of leaders arrived at Belgaum, they were
August 2013 welcomed by a mammoth crowd led by Gangadharrao Deshpande, the Chairman
May 2013 of the Reception Committee. Gandhiji was taken in a procession to the Congress
April 2013 camp. All efforts were made to represent the culture and history of Karnataka at
February 2013 the session. Great stalwarts of music like Veene Seshanna gave their recital and
January 2013 Huyilagola Narayana Rao sung the Kannada anthem ‘Udayavagali namma cheluva
July 2012 Kannadanadu‘ at the session. In his presidential address Gandhiji spoke on the
January 2010
necessity of Hindu-Muslim unity, boycott of foreign goods, encouraging spinning
and weaving of Khadi, working towards eradication of untouchability and other
July 2009
issues. A number of session were also held at Belgaum on the occasion like the
June 2009 All-India Khilafat Conference, All-India Hindu Mahasabha Conference, All-India
May 2009 Non-Brahmin Conference, All-India Social Conference and also the first Karnataka
April 2009 Unification Conference, presided by Sir Siddappa Kambli.
March 2009
February 2009 Karnataka responded positively to the call given by Gandhiji for constructive
October 2008
programmes. The spread of Khadi and village industries was taken up all over
Karnataka and organizations for Harijan welfare were set up in many places of the
September 2008
state. Between 1922 and 1925 national leaders like C.Rajagopalachari, C.R.Das,
https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 1/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

August 2008 Lala Lajpat Rai, S.Srinivasa Iyengar, Pattabhi Seetharamiah, Jamnadas Mehta,
July 2008 Konda Venkatappiah and others toured all over Karnataka and kept the national
June 2008 spirit alive. The flame of freedom struggle was also kept alive by a host of
May 2008
Congressmen of Karnataka like N.S.Hardikar, Srinivas Rao Kaujalgi,
Gangadharrao Deshpande, Kadapa Raghavendra Rao, R.R.Diwakar, Krishna Rao
April 2008
Mudvedkar and others. The authorities in Princely state of Mysore understood the
March 2008
value of spinning and weaving Khadi in the scheme of rural development and often
February 2008 cooperated with the Congress workers in the extension of Khadi industries and
other village industries sponsored by the Congress. The Diwan of Mysore, Albion
Banerjee not only permitted the Department of Industries to send exhibits to the
Congress exhibition at Belgaum in 1924, but also gave a donation for the
expenses.

Anti-Simon Commission agitation: For the purpose of enquiring into the working
of the system of Government and the development of representative institutions in
India, with a view to extend, modify or restrict the degree of responsible
Government then existing in India, a statutory commission was appointed by the
Government in 1927. The Commission headed by John Simon had no Indian
representatives. The Commission was appointed two year earlier than the
prescribed date as the ruling Conservative Party in Britain was doubtful of its
victory in the next general elections and did not wanted the Labour Party, which
was somewhat sympathetic to Indian aspirations should get a chance to determine
the composition of the Commission.

Congressmen felt insulted by the exclusion of Indians from the Commission and
the arrival of the Commission was greeted with hartal and there was wide spread
demonstrations all over India. When the members of the Commission arrived at
Bombay on 3rd February 1928, K.F.Nariman led the demonstration who held
placard inscribed “Swaraj is our birthright” and “No representation, no
Commission”. Lucknow experienced unprovoked police charges on an unarmed
and peaceful protest on the occasion of the visit of the Commission. Police entered
houses and beat respected people for daring to call “Simon go back”. During a
party given by some Taluqdars to the members of the Commission in Lucknow, the
police had barricaded the place. Still, the harmony of the party was marred by the
arrival from the skies of numerous black kites and balloons bearing “Simon, go
back”, “India for Indians”, etc. In Patna, a gathering of 50,000 people demonstrated
against the Commission, while only a few Chaprasis and government servants
gave it a welcome. Lorries of hired people, whom the government had brought
from the neighbourhood, walked into the boycott camp and not the welcome camp.

Lala Lajpat Rai bereaved: At Lahore, when Lajpat Rai and others led the protest
against the Commission on 30th October 1928, the police used force on the
perfectly non- violent demonstration and Lajpat Rai who was in the first row
received lathi blows over his chest, which proved fatal. He died on 17th November.
To avenge his death, Bhagat Singh and his associates decided to assassinate
J.A.Scott, the police officer under whose order the police had resorted to lathi-
charge. But due to mistaken identity, instead of Scott, a probationary officer,
J.P.Saunders became the victim.

In reply to the Indians protest against the non inclusive of Indians in the Simon
Commission, the Secretary of State for India, Birkenhead said that the Indians had
been excluded from the Commission due to their divided opinion and if they could
overcome their differences and frame a draft reform proposal, due consideration
would be given during the preparation of the official reform scheme.

The Nehru report: The challenge was accepted by the Congress, which
constituted a committee under the president ship of Motilal Nehru. The result was a
draft report, which recommended Dominion Status as the basis for the new
Constitution. But as there was no provision for separate electorates, the Muslims
refused to adhere to the report. Even Jawaharlal Nehru condemned the report as a
timid ideal and only after a long discussion with Gandhiji accepted a compromise
formula, by which Dominion Status was accepted as the basis of the new
Constitution, provided the British government conceded it before the end of 1929.
The failure of the government to accept the recommendations made in the Nehru
report led the Congress in its session at Lahore in 1930 to declare its commitment
towards realization of Swaraj. On 31st December 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled
the national flag on the banks of river Ravi and the working committee of the
Congress, which met on 2nd January 1930, decided to observe the 26th of

https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 2/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

January as Independence or Poorna Swaraj Day. Various towns of Karnataka

observed the Independence Day with appropriate solemnity and discipline.

Advertisements

Report this ad

Report this ad

By S.Srinivas | Posted in essays | Comments (0)

HISTORY OF FREEDOM MOVEMENT- 4

May 13, 2009 – 10:03 am

The Gandhian Era

The period 1920-48 has been termed as the Gandhian ear in the history of modern
India . This was due to the overwhelming influence of Gandhiji on Indian politics
and society. The first major agitation launched under his leadership was the Non-
Cooperation Movement with the triple purpose of winning Swaraj, rectification of
Punjab wrongs and the rehabilitation of the of the Khilafat.

The Khilafat Movement was purely a religious movement organized by the Indian
Muslims, whose main plank was the conservation of the Turkish Empire and its
Sultan, whom they acknowledged as their Caliph (spiritual head). The Indian
Muslims feared that Great Britain would deal severely with Turkey for having sided
with Germany in the World War I and strip her of her hold over the holy cities of
Mecca and Medina . Gandhiji with a desire to secure a permanent Hindu-Muslim
unity included the Khilafat issue in his agenda.

Non-Cooperation Movement: The campaign had two kinds of object: constructive

and destructive. In the pursuance of the former, it was decided to raise a fund of
one crore of rupees in the name of Tilak to finance the non-cooperation activities;
to enroll a volunteer corps of one crore members to help in the promotion of
https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 3/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

various boycotts- social, educational, legal and economic and to distribute twenty
lakh spinning wheels to provide work of the unemployed or underemployed and to
replace foreign cloth by hand-made Indian cloth.

With regards to the latter, the important items were- 1. The surrender of titles,
honours, etc. and the boycott of official functions. 2. The boycott of schools and
colleges owned or aided by the government and the establishment of national
educational institutions.3.The boycott of elections to the Central Assembly and
Provincial Councils, 4. The boycott of British goods and encouragement to
Swadeshi. 5. The boycott of the law courts by the lawyers who would set up
popular tribunals for administering justice and 6. Not to enlist in the army and to
give up government service.

Eminent lawyers like Motilal Nehru, C.R.Das, Rajendra Prasad and

Rajagopalachari gave up their practice. Students came out of colleges and schools
and many national institutions were founded where teachers worked for a pittance.
A number of students of the Aligarh University left their studies at the bidding of
Mohammad Ali and founded the Jamia Millia Islamia, which later shifted to Delhi .
Subhas Chandra Bose resigned his post in the Indian Civil Service and worked as
a principal of the National College at Calcutta . The effect of the boycott of foreign
cloth was felt throughout India and attained considerable success in Bengal,
Bombay , Madras and the United Province (Uttar Pradesh). Similarly excise
revenue fell due to boycott of liquor. In September 1921 Mohammed Ali was
arrested for giving a call to Muslim soldiers in the Indian army to abandon their
service, as it was religiously unlawful. Meanwhile the Khilafat meetings where the
wrongs of Islam were described intensified religious feeling of the Moplahs in
Kerala. The Moplahs were the descendants of the Arabs who had settled in Kerala.
Under the influence of their qazis and moulvis they rebelled and committed
atrocities on their Hindu neighbours. On refusal to embrace Islam, people were
tortured, flayed and burnt alive. Women were dishonoured and even pregnant
women were cut to pieces and left on the roadside in the jungles, with the unborn
babe protruding from its mother’s womb. In one instance a six-month old baby was
snatched away from the breast of the mother and cut into two pieces. Hindu places
of worship were desecrated and the wealth of the people looted. The terrible
atrocities resulted in wells and tanks at various places in Malbar filled with
mutilated and half dead bodies of the people.

The Chauri Chaura incident: When the Prince of Wales landed in Bombay on
17th November 1921, the Congress called for a boycott and he was greeted with
black flags wherever he went. In the riots that followed, 53 people died and 400
were wounded. Between December 1921 and January 1922, about 30,000
agitators were arrested. As the situation was deteriorating, efforts to bring out a
settlement was made by some leaders like Malaviya. Gandhiji demanded the
release of all sathyagrahis for which the Viceroy refused. In Febuary 1922
addressed a letter to the viceroy giving notice of his intention to start a civil
disobedience at Bardoli in case the government failed to settle the Khilafat
question and undo the Punjab wrongs. On 5th February 1922 a police station was
burnt by a mob and a number of policemen were killed at Chauri Chaura in United
Province . This resulted in Gandhiji to suspend the non-cooperation movement.
Gandhiji was arrested and sentenced to six-year imprisonment.

The Swaraj Party: In the absence of Gandhiji, the Congress Working Committee
spent a great deal of time in taking stock of the affairs and discussing the future
line of action. The Civil Disobedience Enquiry Committee constituted by the
Congress in its report said that the country was not yet prepared for a non-violent
agitation and recommended the party to contest elections and enter the legislative
councils.

In December the Congress session held at Gaya was presided over by C.R.Das,
who was a strong protagonist of Council entry. But the followers of Gandhiji and the
Khilafatists defeated the proposal of Das. This led C.R.Das and Motilal Nehru to
form the Swaraj party on January 1st 1923. The manifesto of the Swaraj party
declared that while the goal of the party was attainment of Swaraj, the immediate
objective of the party is the speedy attainment of full dominion status. It described
itself as a ‘party within the Congress’ and not a rival organization. In the election,
which took place in November 1923, the candidates of Swaraj party won from
different provinces in considerable strength. In Central Province the party won

https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 4/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

majority of seats while in Bengal, United Province, Bombay and Assam, it won
sizeable number of seats. It secured 48 seats in the Central Legislative Assembly.

In the Legislative Assemblies, the Swarajists launched severe attack on the

government’s policies, exposing its various acts of omission and commission and
demanded the repeal of repressive laws. They urged for increasing the number of
Indians recruited into the Indian Civil Services and in the Defence service and for
the release of political prisoners. In the Central Assembly the Swarajists resorted to
frequent walkouts to register their protest against government highhandedness.
They boycotted all receptions, parties and functions organized by the Viceroy. In
Provincial Legislatures also the Swarajists created obstacles and made the job of
governance difficult.

Formation of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee: Though Tilak had

aroused the spirit of patriotism of the people of Karnataka the Kannadigas had no
separate political entity, which would have been a spur to concerted action. This
was realized and keenly felt by leaders from the early years of the century. In 1915
the Kannada Sahithya Parishad had been established at Bangalore with the object
of bringing together all Kannada-speaking people in order to create a sense of
political and cultural community among them. In 1916 Alur Venkataka Rao and
Kadapa Raghavendra Rao founded the Karnataka Ekikarana Sabha with the
avowed object of achieving a united Karnataka. It was felt that the fight for freedom
would be strengthened and sanctified if there were the consciousness of kinship
among the people of Karnataka. Kadapa Raghavendra Rao toured all over
Karnataka and roused the people into enthusiasm for Karnataka unity. Memorials
were submitted to the Secretary of State for India, Montagu demanding a separate
province for Kannada speaking people. In 1920, the All-Karnataka Political
Conference was held at Dharwad under the president-ship of V.P.Madhava Rao, a
former Diwan of Mysore. Here delegates from all parts of the state participated and
it was decided to send maximum number of delegates from Karnataka to the
Nagpur Congress session to plea for a separate Congress province, which should
include all Kannada-speaking areas. The Nagpur Congress session presided by
C.Vijiaraghavachariar permitted Karnataka to have a separate Pradesh Congress
Committee (P.C.C.) and Gangadharrao Deshpande became the first K.P.C.C.
president. A District Congress Committee was founded for Mysore state with
Justice Setlur as president and local committees were started at Tumkur,
Bangalore, Mysore and other places in the state.

Non-Cooperation Movement in Karnataka: In order to prop up support for the

Non-Cooperation Movement, Gandhiji toured Karnataka during the 1920s. There
was favourable response to his call of boycott of courts, schools and colleges and
offices in places like Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, etc. Men like Dattopant Majali,
Jayarao Deshapande, Srinivasrao Kaujalgi, Hanumantharao Kaujalgi, Alur
Venkatarao, Karnad Sadashiva Rao, K.R.Karanth and other gave up their law
practice. In a number of places bonfire of foreign goods were organized. On 1st
July 1921 three people were killed at Dharwad when police fired on a mob
picketing a liquor shop. Many leaders were arrested for their ‘seditious’ speeches
and writings and for breaking prohibitory orders. This included Gangadharrao
Deshpande, Hanumantharao Mohare, Jayarao Deshapande and Hanumantharao
Kaujalgi. When the Prince of Wales visited India on November 17th, 1921 there
was hartal in many important places in Karnataka including Bangalore. Two
Khilafat workers died of police atrocities at Bangalore Cantonment on 18th.

The constructive programme of the Congress was taken up all over Karnataka.
National schools were established in Mangalore, Dharwad, Hubli, Hangal,
Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gadag, Belgaum, Sirsi, Hospet, Siddapur and other places. In
the National school run by Alur Venkata Rao at Dharwad, Dr. Bendre and
R.R.Diwakar worked as teachers. Propagation of Khadi, the abolition of
untouchability, the anti-drink campaign, village uplift, the encouragement to village
industries were among the chief items of the constructive programme. They helped
to awaken the spirit on national service and prepare the people for the bitter fight of
the coming days.(to be continued)

By S.Srinivas | Posted in essays | Comments (0)

https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 5/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

HISTORY OF FREEDOM MOVEMENT-III

May 8, 2009 – 8:56 am

The Moderates and the Extremists

The partition of Bengal raised the political tempo in the country. The adoption of
swadeshi and boycott of British goods provided new methods of struggle. A radical
element began to assert itself from the Congress platform. Its leaders were Tilak,
Lajapat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal and Aurobindo Ghosh. This group called
extremists, believed in protests and agitations and advocated boycott and passive
resistance. They appealed to the masses and looked upon ancient India for
guidance and inspiration. They wanted ‘Swaraj’, which they considered as their
birthright. The group identified with the moderates believed in prayers and petition
and looked to the west for inspiration. Their policy was a policy of mendicancy and
as reward of loyalty wanted a colonial self-government. At the Congress session
held at Benaras in 1905, a resolution was moved by the moderates to welcome the
Prince of Wales, was to visit India in 1906. The extremists opposed the resolution
and staged a walkout. The resolution was passed in their absence. The resolution
regarding passive resistance moved by Tilak could not be passed. The next
session of the Congress was held in Calcutta in 1906. Bipin Chandra Pal proposed
Tilak for presiding over the session. As he was not acceptable for the moderates,
Dadabhai Naoroji was elected as the president of the Congress session. This time
the extremists were able to successfully get the resolution passed on Swaraj,
Swadeshi, Boycott and National Education passed. But the moderates did not work
actively for the implementation of the resolutions.

The Surat split: In 1907 the Congress session was held at Surat and the
extremists proposed the name of Lala Lajpat Rai for presiding over the session.
But according to an established convention the moderates wanted Rash Behari
Bose, who was the Chairman of the Reception Committee of the last session at
Calcutta to be elected as the president. Tilak and his supporters had no faith in him
and Lala Lajpat Rai who was recently released from detention refused to accept
the president ship. The name of Rash Behari Bose was proposed by S.N.Banerjee
and seconded by Moti Lal Nehru. Bose was elected and took over the chair. Chaos
followed when Tilak who wanted to address the delegates was not allowed to do
so. Men with sticks charged the platform. Shoes were thrown on the platform.
Feroz Shah Mehta and S.N.Banerjee were injured. The president declared the
meeting closed and the police cleared the hall.

Aftermath the Surat split, the moderates met in Allahabad in April 1908 and drew
up a constitution. They again met at Madras in December the same year. In article
I of its constitution it mentioned that its goal was to participation of Indian in a
system of government similar to that enjoyed by the self-governing members of the
British Empire . This was to be achieved through constitutional means. The
Congress (moderates) lost popularity after the split and the average number of
delegates went on decreasing annually. The nationalists or extremists, left to itself
might have developed a separate rival organization to the Congress, but for the
repressive measures of the government. Lala Lajpat Rai was deported in 1907,
Aurobindo locked as an under-trial prisoner in 1908 and after his release, he retired
from politics (February 1910). In 1908 Tilak was imprisoned for six years for
provocative writings.

The Muslim League was the only party, which showed new life and strength after
the Congress split. The first annual session of the League was held at Karachi on
29 December 1907. The choice of Karachi , the capital of Sindh was due to its
religious and historical consideration. As the League publication put it – “If a
handful of men under a boy (Mohammad-Bin-Kasim) could teach Kalima to the
territory of Sindh and promulgate the Shariat of god, can seven crore Muslims not
make their social and political life pleasant”?

The Home Rule League: The people of Ireland were agitating for Home Rule and
Mrs Annie Besant, an Englishwomen mooted the idea of Home Rule for India . She
believed that the best way to preserve British connection with India was to satisfy
the Indian aspirations, which was conferring of self-government. Mrs Annie Besant
was the president of the Theosophical Society and was well acquainted with Indian
through and culture. She had made India her home and gradually became
Indianised. She realized that for the attainment of Home Rule, unity in the National
movement was essential and was chiefly instrumental in bringing the reunion of

https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 6/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

moderates and extremists. Tilak after his release from Mandalay decided to work
for self-government through constitutional means. He was also influenced by the
freedom struggle movement in Ireland and organized the Home Rule League in
Poona in July 1916. Mrs Annie Besant inaugurated her faction of Home Rule
League in Madras in September 1916. While the activities of Tilak’s movement was
restricted to Maharashtra, that of Mrs Annie Besant embraced the whole of India
including Bombay . Tilak visited Belgaum , Sankeshwar and other places in
Karnataka and opened the branches of the League. The League had its branches
also at Dharwad, Siddapur, Bellary , Hubli and Mangalore. Dattopant Belvi was the
president of the Karnataka unit of Home Rule League.

The idea of Home Rule appealed to a large section of the population. All sections
of Congressmen joined the movement. Leaders like Lajpat Rai, C.R.Das, Jinnah,
Moti Lal Nehru, Madan Mohan Malaviya and others became heads of local
branches, which were set up in towns. By the beginning of 1918, Tilak’s League
had 32,000 members and Mrs Annie Besant’s League had 27,000 members. Both
the League aimed at conveying the message of Home Rule to the common man. In
addition to newspapers, vernacular pamphlets, posters, illustrated post-cards,
plays, religious songs adapted for the purpose were used and missionary style
preachers were employed for Home Rule propaganda. Reading rooms were
started and discussion groups and public meetings were held. Areas that were
hitherto considered politically backward such as Gujrat and Sindh were drawn into
the movement. For the first time in the history of the freedom struggle students
were attracted to the movement in large numbers. So also were women. Tilak and
Mrs Besant toured their respective areas and drew huge crowds to their meetings.
In their speeches they blamed the British for poverty and backwardness in the
country and declared that the only remedy for these ills was Home Rule. Their
propaganda caused serious embarrassment to the authorities. Attempts were
made to stop students from attending the League meetings and by restricting the
movements of the leaders. On 16th June 1917, Mrs Besant along with her
lieutenants, B.P.Wadia and G.S.Arundale were arrested. In July 1918 Tilak sent
Lala Lajpat Rai, N.S.Hardikar and K.D.Shastri to the United States of America to
set a branch of his Home Rule League in San Francisco . They worked hard to
counteract the British propaganda that on account of her diversity and
backwardness, India was unfit for Home Rule. Tilak himself visited England to
enlist the support of the Labour party. He also appealed to Clemenceau, the
president of the Paris Peace Conference to place India ‘s case for Home Rule
before the representatives of the allied powers. Mrs Annie Besant’s support for the
firing which took place at Jallianwallabagh, death of Tilak in 1920 and the
enactment of the 1919 Act, all led to the Home Rule movement to lose its
momentum. Later Gandhiji renamed the Home Rule League as Swaraj Sabha.

India and First World War: Though the people of India had no stakes in the war,
they were forced to contribute in men and material for the British in their fight
against Germany . Indian soldiers fought in France , Belgium , Egypt , Sudan , East
Africa, North China, Persia , Mesopotamia, Palestine , Aden , etc. India ‘s supply in
men, money and material was so large that Viceroy Hardinge declared in the
House of Commons and repeated in his autobiography that India had been bled
white by the war office. About 12,15,338 Indian soldiers were sent overseas and
more than one lakh men died fighting for the British. The British Indian government
made a free gift of 100 Million Sterling to England for conducting the war. This
amount exceeded the annual revenue of the government of India and increased
her nation debt to 30 percent. The total war expenditure of government of India up
to 31st March 1918 was about 12,78,000,00 Sterling Pounds. This apart the Indian
princes and people contributed about 2,100,000 Sterling in cash. There was also
forced conscription and war loans. For instance in Punjab the Revenue Officer
(Tahsildar) used to prepare a list of all men in a village and ask each family
consisting of three or four brothers to provide one or two recruits for the war. If the
fixed number were not made available voluntarily, he would resort to cruel
punishment like making the men stand naked in the presence of their women folk
or pushing them in between thorny bushes. Sometimes women were taken as
hostages and retained until the men came forward to enlist in the army.

During the war, the government of India had enacted the Defence of India Act to
curb revolutionary activities. In March 1919, as a substitute to this act, the
government passed the Rowlatt Act. The Act conferred provincial governments
with extraordinary powers to search, arrest, demand securities, etc. Another
feature of this act was that a person accused of crime by a Special Court had no

https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 7/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

provision to go for appeal against the judgment given. Indian felt that after their
splendid help for England in World War I such a repressive Act was uncalled for. In
spite of opposition from all elected Indian members
of the Central Legislature, the Act was passed.
The Jallianwallabagh Massacre: As a mark of protest against the Act, Gandhiji
gave a call for an All India hartal on 30th March 1919, which was later postponed
to 6th April. In Amritsar , the hartal organized on April 6th passed off peacefully.
Michael O’ Dwyer, the Lt Governor of Punjab wanted to prevent Congress political
ideas from pertaining to Punjab and hence on 10th Congress leaders, Kitchlew and
Satyapal were deported from Amritsar . Mobs gathered to see the District
Magistrate to entreat him to cancel the orders were stopped by police who fired
upon them, causing injuries and deaths. The mob was filed with rage and started
assaulting Europeans, man or woman. It sacked the National Bank and the
Alliance Bank, set afire their premises and killed their European managers. The
Town Hall and a number of public buildings were gutted. Telegraph wires were
pulled down. A Christian missionary, Miss Sherwood was assaulted and left
unconscious. (But later rescued by Indians and taken care of) These incidents led
the authorities to hand over the administration of Amritsar to the military authorities
and on April 11th Brigadier Dyer took charge. Proclamations were issued giving
warning of dire consequences if meetings were held or processions taken. The
reaction of the people was to make a protest against these threats and a meeting
was summoned at Jallianwallabagh in the afternoon of April 13th. Dyer regarded
this as a challenge to his authority and decided to disperse it by force.

On 13th April, the authorities had allowed the people to assemble in

Jallianwallabagh, an open space surrounded by high walls on three sides with a
narrow entrance. Some 20,000 people had gathered to hear the speech of
Hansraj, when Dyer entered with about 50 British and 100 Indian troops and
without warning ordered firing upon the people. In all 1,650 rounds were fired
continuously for ten minutes. While the Hunter Committee reported 379 deaths, the
Congress alleged that 1,000 people were killed. The wounded on Dyer’s order
were left groaning the whole night without water and medical aid.

Repressive tactics: About 51 persons were sentenced to death and 46 to life

imprisonment. Water and electricity supply were cut off in Amritsar . To avenge the
assaulting of Miss Sherwood, a ‘Crawling Order’ was passed by which every
passerby in the lane in which she was assaulted was not allowed to walk but to
crawl on their belly. Sale of third class railway tickets was prohibited, which virtually
meant stopping Indian from traveling by train. All bicycles other than those
belonging to Europeans were confiscated and public platform for whipping were
erected in different parts of the city. Students were asked to report themselves four
times daily at a place several miles away from their colleges in the burning sun of
April. These youths were made to walk 19 miles to and fro daily. Even small
children were paraded three times a day to salute the British flag and many fainted
due to sunstroke. Motor Cars and electric fans belonging to Indian were seized for
the troops. Occupants of premises on whose walls martial law notices were pasted
were ordered to protect them and were liable to punishment if in any way they were
defaced or torn. Hence the household used to appoint their servants to watch
them, lest they be torn or defaced perhaps by a police agent. When they applied
for permission to guard the notice after 8 pm, they were told that they could have
passes for this purpose for themselves but not for their servants.

Martial law was imposed in other parts of Punjab also. In Lahore , people who
came out after 8 pm, violating curfew orders were liable to be shot, flogged or
fined. An elderly man tending his cow outside his shop door in a side land after 8
pm was flogged. In a village not far from Lahore , a Muslim marriage party
including the bridegroom, priest and guests were flogged for the offence of
assembling together violating the martial law prohibiting assemblage of people. In
Gujranwala , Colonel O’Brien ordered that when Indian met British officers, they
must salute, alight from their carriages or dismount if they riding or driving and
lower their umbrellas if they were carrying one. In one case a number of leading
citizens were summarily arrested, marched several miles in the burning sun and
put in a goods truck. They were refused permission to answer nature calls and kept
in the truck in these condition for about 48 hours. At Kasur, Capt. Doveton
confessed that some people were made to touch the ground with their forehead by
way of making them acknowledge the British authority. People including Sadhus
were whitewashed and lime washed and made to stand in the hot sun. About 107
persons were kept in a public cage without any overhead covering specially built

https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 8/9
26.02.2018 May | 2009 | Ithihas

for the purpose. Gradually, news of the happenings in Punjab reached the rest of
India and there was an outburst of condemnation from every part. The true colour
of the British was manifested when Brigadier Dyer was not only acquitted of all
charges, but also showered with praise. But Michael O’Dwyer was not so lucky and
in 1940 Udham Singh shot him dead in London .

By S.Srinivas | Posted in essays | Comments (1)

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. | .

https://ithihas.wordpress.com/2009/05/ 9/9