gs1
250 Words15 Marks
Q.Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase. Elaborate.
UPSC Mains 2019•History
Model Answer
View this Question In PYQ RealmIntroduction
While Mahatma Gandhi was the central figure of the Indian national movement from 1919 to 1947, his leadership did not exist in a vacuum. The Gandhian phase was enriched and strengthened by several diverse political, social, and economic currents that operated alongside, and sometimes in opposition to, Gandhian strategies.
graph TD A["Diverse Contributions to the Indian Nationalist Movement"] --> B["Women"] A --> C["Business Class"] A --> D["Khilafat Movement"] A --> E["Socialist Ideas"] A --> F["Hindu Nationalists"] A --> G["Swarajists and No-Changers"] A --> H["Revolutionaries"] A --> I["Workers"] B --> B1["Kasturba Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu"] C --> C1["Financial Assistance, Rejecting Imported Goods"] D --> D1["Ottoman Caliphate, Unity among Muslims"] E --> E1["J.L. Nehru, S.C. Bose"] F --> F1["Hindu Mahasabha, RSS"] G --> G1["Constructive Program, Central Legislative Assembly"] H --> H1["R.P. Bismil, Bhagat Singh"] I --> I1["Ahmedabad Satyagraha, Railway Strikes"]
Body
1. Diverse Voices and Ideologies
- The Left and Socialist Voice: Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose brought a socialist perspective to the Congress, linking the struggle for political independence with economic emancipation. This led to the formation of the National Planning Committee in 1938.
- The Revolutionary Voice: Figures like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Surya Sen inspired the youth through selfless sacrifice. Their actions forced the British to realize the depth of Indian discontent and pushed the Congress toward demanding complete independence (Purna Swaraj).
- The Swarajists and No-Changers: Following the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Swarajists (C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru) kept the political struggle alive within the legislative councils, while the "No-Changers" focused on rural constructive work.
- The Khilafat Movement: Led by the Ali brothers, this pan-Islamic movement merged with the Non-Cooperation Movement, bringing unprecedented Hindu-Muslim unity to the anti-colonial struggle.
- Working Class and Peasant Movements: The growth of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Kisan Sabhas led to massive industrial strikes and peasant agitations, integrating class struggles into the national movement.
- Women's Voices: Women like Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali, and Kasturba Gandhi stepped into leadership roles, transforming the struggle into a true family-led mass movement.
- The Business Class: Industrialists like G.D. Birla provided crucial financial support to the Congress and boycotted foreign goods, aligning indigenous capital with nationalist goals.
Conclusion
The success of the Indian national movement lay in its pluralism. While Gandhi provided the moral framework and mass appeal, these diverse voices—representing different classes, ideologies, and communities—enriched the struggle, ensuring that the demand for independence was loud, multi-dimensional, and representative of all sections of Indian society.