National Movement

By – Supriya

Indian aspirations to be an independent entity remained unfulfilled till the second half of the 20th century. National Movement was always subdued due to the lack of organised efforts against the well – organised masters. The real organised effort to achieve the political , social and economic liberty was felt only after the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. The first reason for evolving a feeling of nationalism was the political unification of India. Before the advent of the British , the subcontinent presented a collage of selfish kingdoms under rival chiefs and rulers.The coming of the British brought western influence , which inspired western education. The liberal and radical ideas of Europe  influenced the Indian intelligentia and created a new educated middle class. The use of western education and English as a language for communication brought closer the population in various regions.Thus it helped in exchange of ideas and aspirations for liberty from the foreign rule. The initial Indian rebellion of 1857 sparked when soldiers serving in the British East India Company ‘ s British Indian Army and Indian kingdoms rebelled against the British hegemony. After the revolt was crushed, India developed a class of educated elites whose political organising sought Indians political rights and representation while largely remaining loyal to the British Empire. However, increasing public disenchantment with the British rule – owing to the suppression of civil liberties , political rights , and culture as well as alienation from issues troubling common Indians – led to an upsurge in revolutionary activities aimed at overthrowing the British authority. The revolt of 1857 was a major turning point in the history of modern India. The British abolished the British East India Company and replaced it with the direct rule under the British crown. A viceroy was appointed to represent the Crown. In proclaiming the new direct – rule policy to ” the Princes , Chiefs, and Peoples of India,” Queen Victoria promised equal treatment under the British law, but Indian mistrust of British rule became the legacy of the 1857 rebellion. The British embarked on a programme of reforms, trying to integrate Indian higher castes and rulers into the government. They stopped land grabs,decreed religious tolerance and admitted Indians into the civil service , albeit mainly as subordinates. However, they also increased the number of  British soldiers in relation to native ones and allowed only the British soldiers to handle artillery. Bahadur Shah was exiled to Rangoon, Burma where he died in 1862, finally bringing the Mughal dynasty to an end. In 1877, Queen Victoria took the title of Empress of India. The socio – religious movements brought forth by various social reformers all over the country inspired national consciousness to improve their social condition and invoked the spirit of patriotism in the Indian masses. The promotion of vernacular language and its use in the Indian and vernacular papers infused a feeling of nationalism in the people.
Inspired by a suggestion made by A.O Hume , a retired British civil servent, seventy – three Indian delegates met in Bombay in 1885 and founded the Indian National Congress. They were mostly upwardly mobile and successful western – educated provincial elites , engaged in professions such as law , teaching , and journalism. They had acquired political outlook from regional participation in various professions by securing nomination to various positions in legislative councils,universities and special commissions. The Indian Nationalism witnessed development but in phases. In the first phase ever since the evolution of Indian National Congress , a moderate movement with the will to co – operate for the grant of a better living conditions for the Indian people prevailed. They believed in the gradual realisation of their national goals. The first of a series of national movements was the Non – cooperation Movement (1920-1922). It was followed by the Civil Disobedience Movement, after a lull. Though the Congress was in the forefront of the freedom struggle but there were many other organisations and individuals who also played important roles. The struggle for Independence continued in the 1930s but the real momentum came with the Second World War. The Indian National Congress thought that after the war the British government in their war efforts. The Congress thought that after the war the British might leave India, but the real intentions of the British became clear soon after. The Congress under the leadership of Gandhi, began to prepare for the ‘ Quit India Movement ‘ in 1942. With the pace of developments all over the world ( after the Second World War) , the British came to realise that it was not possible to rule India any more and they decided to quit. After the First World War ,the revolutionary activities suffered major setbacks due to the arrest of prominent leaders. In 1920s, the revolutionary activists started to reorganize. Hindustan Socialist Republican Association was formed under the leadership of Chandrasekhar Azad. Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb inside the Central Legislative Assembly on April 8,1929 protesting against the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. Following the trial (Central Assembly Bomb Case), Bhagat Singh , Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged in 1931. The third phase of the Indian National Movement was dominated by the Gandhian ideology ; non- violence, Non Co – operation and Civil Disobedience movements, the Quit India Movement with the slogan of ‘ Do or Die’, all ultimately resulted in the freedom at the mid – night stroke on 15th August 1947.

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