WBBSE Notes For Class 10 History And Environment Chapter 7 Movements Organized by Women Students

Movements Organized by Women Students And Marginal People India Characteristics And Analyses Introduction

• Incidents in history flow like water in a river. Those events through the ages, with their character and form, merge in the great cauldron of history. Who would not want to have a glimpse of such history?
• As the nineteenth century went by and the twentieth century evolved, we found, in the pages of history, so many diverse and intriguing tales of fights and revolutions.
• The movements of women, students, and marginal or impoverished people were three such movements for getting something that is rightfully theirs.

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Women’s Movements In Twentieth-Century India

Women’s Movements In Twentieth Century India Background: ‘The Democratic Women’s Federation’ was formed not only to establish their rights and address problems of women alone but for the larger mass movement in the country. The phases and factors of the women’s movement were as

• In the pre-independence era, on Gandhiji’s request, women had actively taken part in National Freedom Movement. In 1927 All India Women Conference was formed.
• Apart from this, the women’s movement gained momentum for gaining democratic, social, and legal rights for themselves as well as addressing various women’s issues.
• Since World War 2, women’s organizations were formed in states like Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra, and Madras to gain social independence and fight against Fascism as part of India’s National Movement.
• Women’s groups had important role to play in many freedom movements like the Tebhaga Movement in Bengal, the Telengana-Adiyar-Sayur Peasant Movement and the movement for the freedom of Worli Adivasis of Maharashtra,

In post-independence India, women’s movements suffered even more. Communal riots (1946-47) had spilled venom on the women’s movement during that period. The women’s movement of the ’50s had two main agendas, namely,

• To initiate political battle through social changes and
• To include women in the implementation of Government projects. In 1954, the ‘Women’s Federation of India’ was formed, based on communist ideals. During this time, the women’s movement, demanding the prevention of the dowry system, equal pay, equal work, and maternity leave, became highly successful. In 1973, the ‘Social Welfare Department’ of the Central Government took some steps for the uplift of women.
• However, since nothing much was achieved by this step, the women’s movement started again in 1974. When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared an emergency in 1975, the protesting women supported her. The first woman Prime Minister of Asia, Mrs. Indira Gandhi is often called ‘the Margaret Thatcher of India’. 4th March 1975 was declared as International Women’s Day and 1975-85 was called the Women’s Decade.

WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 7 Notes

1. Women’s Movement during the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement:

Women’s Movement during Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement Nature: If we analyse the character and features of women’s movement during the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement, it will be noticed that the women who participated in the movement belonged to higher caste and were well educated or Western-educated.

• There was hardly any participation from lower caste, uneducated and conservative families.
• Many ladies from the Tagore family of Jorasanko were involved in the movement. The women, who were involved in national movement, developed a strong sense of revolutionary ideals against social torment and deprivation of women.

Social reformation did not help much in the emancipation of women, but it could be achieved through freedom struggle.

1. During the period of Partition of Bengal, Swarna Kumari Debi, daughter of Debendra Nath Tagore formed the ‘Sakhi Samity (friends’ circle).
2. Her daughter, Sarala Devi Chowdhurani formed ‘Byam Samiti’, ‘Lakhmir Bhandar’; an organisation producing indigenous goods. These organisations along with her ‘Birastami Brata’ (1904), ‘Pratapaditya Utsab’ and made a link with ‘Suhrid Samiti’ of Mymensingh. helped to awaken nationalist feelings. Sarala Devi formed ‘Bharat-Stri Mahamandal’ in 1911 for unity and self-development of women.
3. Krishna Kumar Mitra’s daughter Kumudini Mitra published a magazine ‘Suprabhat’ in 1907 to encourage revolutionary women of Bengal and Khairunnisha wrote a poem ‘Swadeshanurag’ in ‘Nabanur patrika’.
4. Nanibala Devi a paternal aunty of revolutionary Amarendranath Chattopadhyay used to keep the revolutionaries in the secret shelters.
5. During the anti-partition movement Madam Vikaji Cama hoested a tri-colored Indian flag in the Stuttgart City of Germany.
6. Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) wrote the book ‘The Golden Threshold’ in 1905 and ‘The Broken Wing’ in 1917. She was the first woman president of Indian National Congress.
7. Hemanta Kumari Choudhuri by editing a journal ‘Antahpur’ for the period from 1901 to 1904 encouraged women to participate in the political struggle,
8. During the day of partition (16th October 1905) nearby 5000 women gathered to see the foundation of Town Hall in North Calcutta,
9. An eleven-year school girl of Dacca, Ashalata Sen due inspiration from her grandmother Nabasashi Sen encouraged women to join the Swadeshi Movement.
10. A young housewife Manarama Basu and Labanyaprabha Datta led the procession during the anti-partition movement in Barishal and Khulna respectively. For her request women broke foreign glass bangles as symbol of boycott.
11. Apart from them, ladies like Sister Nibedita, Annie Besant, Nellie Sengupta, Hemaprobha Majumdar and Labanyaprobha Chanda took active participation in nationalist movement. Otherhand, Ramendrasundar Trivedi and his daughter Girijasundari organised a religious festival ‘Bangalaxmi Bratakatha’ with 500 women at Murshidabad, in favor of Swadeshi Movement.
12. South Indian women like Maharani Tejaswini, Pandita Ramabai, Ramabai Ranade, Tanubai Tarkhud, Birubai Lime, etc., also played active role in the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement. Ramabai Ranade, the second wife of M. G. Ranade, was the founder of ‘Mahila Parishad’ (1905), Bharat Mahila Parishad, and ‘Sebasadan’.

The principle characteristic feature of women’s movement during the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement was that urban women of higher castes, wealthy, and bourgeois class were the main leaders of the movement. But they all aimed at promoting national interest.

WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 7 Notes

2. Women’s Movement during Non-Cooperation Movement:

During 1920-22, many women throughout the country joined the Non-Cooperation Movement.

1. Gandhiji laid stress on women’s participation through Charka and Khadi. movement. He felt that it was important for the poor rural women to participate in khadi and cottage industry because that would make them economically independent. So, during Non-Cooperation Movement, the restrictions and parochial ideals of the women’s movement had dispersed to a great extent.
2. Gandhiji said that unless the women worked side by side with the men, Mother India would never be freed from her chains. This time Annie Besant first woman congress president (1917), Heerabai Tata, Sabitribai Tata, Begum Hamid Ali, Rajkumari Amrita Kaur and Dr. Muthulaxmi Reddy a popular physician of Madras moved demanding voting rights for women. Dr. Reddy put forward a bill to abolish the ‘devadasi system’ (first. She was the first woman member of the Legislative Assembly of India.
3. This role of women in the Non-Cooperation Movement is indeed highly commendable. At this time the leaders of ‘The Young Women’s Christian Association’ and ‘Women Indian Association’, like Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay (1903-1988), Vijoy Laxmi Pandit, Begum Rokeya, and Renuka Roy, became icons of Non-Cooperation Movement. Kamala Devi was the first secretary and later president of ‘All India Women Conference’ (AIWC).
4. Renuka Roy a follower of Gandhiji became the member of parliament and was the first woman minister of West Bengal.
5. More than 1000 women revolted against visit of the’ Prince of Wales (Edward 8) to India in 1921 at the city of Bombay. Many of them donated money and ornaments to the ‘Tilak Swaraj Fund’ of Rs. 1.20 crore.

Gandhiji wrote in an article that it was essential for women to participate in Non- Cooperation Movement because of the following reasons

1. Colonial economics has affected the self-dependence and social stand of women.
2. It was essential for the women to leave the confinement of their households and connect with the outside world.
3. Participation of women in khadi movement would pave the way for their participation in the nationalist movement, the spinning wheel being the symbol of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
4. The women were encouraged by menfolk to join the movement.
5. It was not restricted to women of higher class and middle class, but even women from poor backgrounds became interested main the integrity derece Se help in spinning and weaving.
6. The negative and positive Whereas the gym big offer are the Faitien et Bengal in split at the eneral print of the Brace, we bett Rider and or operate
   So creating in care le interact the coll effects of the dismembers at 4 Protere and Fler agenda-boycott of foreign goods and promotion of indigenous industry-greatly inspired the women.
   • Kamala Nehru wife of Jawaharlal Nehru joined the movement. During the movement 80,000 were arrested of which 17,000 were women. Urmila Devi, Chittaranjan Das’s sister with the help of his wife Basanti Devi founded ‘Nari Karma Mandir’ (1921) in Calcutta for Nari Satyagraha Movement and Neli Sengupta at that time took the leadership of the steamer strike (1922).
   • Similarly, Prabhabati Bose, mother of Subhas Chandra Bose presided over Women’s State Union to propagate the ideal of the movement in remote villages.

3. Women’s Movement during the Civil Disobedience Movement:

During the Civil Disobedience Movement women’s movement assumed a comprehensive form.

After the Dandi March of Gandhiji ‘Nari Satyagraha Samiti‘ was formed by Santi Das, Indumati Goyenka, and Sajjan Debi on 13th April 1930. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay looted the salt godown at Wadalla with 15000 women satyagrahis. The salt satyagraha was conducted by Matangini Hazra in Midnapur, Satyabala Devi in Birbhum, Susama Palit in Bankura, etc.

1. Ten thousand members of ‘The National Council of Women’ established in 1925 and All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) established in 1927 joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930).
2. During the movement, AIWC had 180 branches spread over 18 provinces with a total membership of 8000. These women were involved in service to people and spread of education. They were also active in demanding government regulation securing equal rights for women.
3. During this time the main purpose of women’s movement was political reformation and protesting against imperialism. Certain events like the International Conference on equality of women in Geneva (1931), the proposal of women’s equality adopted by the Communist Party of China, and the ‘Asian Women Equality Congress’ in Lahore helped to spread women’s rights issues in Civil Disobedience Movement.
4. The women who had participated in active women’s movements throughout India were, Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, Basanti Devi, Urmila Devi, Durga Devi, Ashalata Sen, Binapani Devi, TY Jyotirmoyee Ganguly, B. Amma (Aradi Banu Begum), Avantikabai Gokhale and Anasuyabai Phale among others.
5. Apart from these, Devdasis from West Godavari and Maharashtra and women from red-light he areas in Bengal, in the interests of the movement, gave up their jewelry and personal belongings in response to call from Gandhiji. This was another aspect of the movement.
6. Sarojini Naidu, (first Indian Woman Congress president in 1926) also known as the ‘Nightingale of India’, while leading the campaign to capture Dharsana salt godown in May 1930 and told her women-force, “the honour of India is now in your hands, so, do not resort to violence under any circumstances”.
7. A large number of women from rural and urban areas joined the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’, but in time of Non- the Cooperation Movement number of women participants were comparatively limited. Total 81 women of Midnapur were arrested during Civil Disobedience Movement.
8. Parsee, Christan, and other communities women of Gujarat and Maharashtra, Kumudini Bose, Hemlata Tagore, and Latika Ghosh of Bengal, Jawaharlal Nehru’s mother Swaruprani Nehru and his wife.
9. Kamala Nehru and muslim women leaders like Rajiya Khatun, Daulatunnisha Khatun, Halima Khatun, Hassaine Ara Begum, and ‘Syhlet Women Association’ of Zobeda Khatun in as played their leading role in the Civil Disobedience Movement. During the movement 80,000 were imprisoned of 17,000 were women and in Midnapur 81 women were arrested.

WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 History Chapter 7

4. Women’s Movement during Quit India Movement:

During the Quit India Movement of 1942, most of the men were arrested. But the women kept the movement alive with great expertise.

1. Rajkumari Amrita Kaur, Bhogeswari Fukononi, Amar Kaur and Pushan Gujral successfully directed the Quit India Movement. It was at this time that a home maker in Punjab, Bhogeswari Phuknani, who was pregnant with a child, was gunned down by the police.
2. Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kripalini, Khurshed Ben, Usha Mehta, Kasturba Gandhi, Mridula Sarabhai, and others went into hiding and continued to organise the movement. Aruna Asaf Ali (1909-96) from Delhi was the most expert in covert operations. She hoasted tri-colour flag in the August Kranti Maidan of Bombay on 9th August 1942.
3. Usha Mehta founded Radio Transmiter named ‘Voice of Freedom’ to preach the ideal ‘Korange Yeh Morange’.
4. Sarojini and Mira Ben in Bombay, Kamala Dasgupta, Santa Banik and Sushila Roy in Bengal, Laxmi Menon, Rukmani Laxmipati, Durga Bai Deshmukh in Madras, Hemu Kalani in Karachi were eminent leaders.
5. 16 years old school student, Kanaklata Barua, led the Quit India Movement in Brahmaputra Valley; Assam. Rani Godala was the leader in Manipur.
6. Matangini Hazra, a 73 year old lady from Midnapur added a remarkable feature to the women’s movement. She gathered 20,000 women and formed ‘Bhagini Sena’ (army of sisters): Matangini Hazra, also known as ‘Gandhiburi’ (old lady Gandhi), Sashibala. Dasi were killed in police firing when she went to capture the ‘Lalbari’ (red building) in Tamluk.
7. During this time 73 rebel women were kidnapped by Tamluk Sub-divisional police. It was the Government who was responsible for the death of 10 lakh people during the famine of 1943. The role of the ‘Mahila Atmorakhsha Samity’ or Women’s Self Defence Society deserves credit.
8. In Birbhum Nandita Kripallini, Rani Chanda, Ela Datta, Santi Dasgupta, Sumita Sen, etc, in Bankura Santashila Palit, in Dacca Ashalata Sen, in Koomilla Labanya Lata Chanda, in Balurghat Prabha Chatterjee, in Dinajpur Labanyaprabha Dasgupta and in Noakhali Sushila Mitra joined the Quit India movement.
9. Dalit women Santabai Bhalerao and Tarabai Kumble gave shelter to the freedom fighters. In the history of women’s movement, the role of women’s organisations. in preventing famine and directing the freedom movement will be remembered at all times.

5. The Participation of Women in Armed Revolution:

The Participation of Women in Armed Revolution Introduction: It is noted in history that men and women had fought together in armed revolutionary movement in India.

• If we analyse the characteristic features of the movement, it will be observed that women started showing interest in armed revolution towards the last part of the nineteenth century. This era was called the ‘Age of Freedom of Captive Women’.
• Women had actively taken part in armed movements during the period from the first decade of the twentieth century to the third decade.

The Participation of Women in Armed Revolution Era of Revolutionary Women: Great revolutionary Arun Chandra Guha in his book ‘The Spark of Revolution’ described the revolutionary contribution of some eminent women like

1. Soudamini Devi of Faridpur,
2. Sarojini Devi of Barishal,
3. Dukadi Bala
4. Devi of Birbhum, Brahmamoyee Sen of Dhaka etc.

Bhupendranath Dutta wrote the famous book ‘Second Freedom Struggle in India’ where he described the revolutionary role of

1. Nibedita in the ‘Anusilan Samity’ of Bengal. She gifted the book like ‘Memories of a Revolutionist’ written by Cropetkin to Bhupendranath Dutta.
2. Two school girls of Coomilla, Suniti Choudhury and Shanti Ghosh killed district magistrate Mr. C. G. V. Steven on 14th December 1931 and
3. Ujalla Majumder attemped to murder governor of Darjeeling Mr. Anderson and went to jail for 14 years.

The Participation of Women in Armed Revolution Causes of participation:

1. The women were self-confident and were ready to sacrifice themselves. That was the reason for their participation in the movement.
2. Actually, the spread of education helped to arouse such a revolutionary spirit among women.
3. Women’s movement, as a protest against the wrongful oppression of women, had two main branches- one was a non-violent protest, the other was armed revolutionary movement. The women were inspired by the regeneration, spread of education among women, nationalist feeling, and patriotism in general, and joined the armed movement to free the Motherland from captivity.
4. Gandhiji iterated in the journal ‘Young India’ that it was essential for women to join the movement to free the Motherland.
5. The direct role of women in this movement was to boycott all foreign goods, picketing, fasting, Civil Disobedience Movement, and to spread terror,
6. While indirectly, it was their duty to secretly supply arms to the revolutionaries, pass information from one source to another, to guard safe houses, and to protect the revolutionaries from police in different ways.
7. The women were self-confident and were ready to sacrifice themselves. That was the reason for their participation in the movement.

WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 History Chapter 7

The Participation of Women in Armed Revolution Madam Kama: Mrs. Vikaji Rustamji Kama, who is known as the ‘Mother of Indian revolutionary ideals’, told a gathering outside India in 1910, ‘Remember, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

• These soft hands build the national character. So, please do not ignore these strong hands’. Actually, the spread of education helped to arouse .such revolutionary spirit among women. Women’s movement, as a protest against wrongful oppression of women, had two main branches-one was a non-violent protest, the other was armed revolutionary movement.

The Participation of Women in Armed Revolution Women’s Brigade in Azad Hind Fauj: The women’s brigade of Azad Hind Fauj was called the ‘Jhansi Brigade’. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose vested the leadership of this women’s brigade in Smt. Lakshmi Swaminathan (24.10.1914-23.07.2012).

WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 History Chapter 7

• Her mother Ammu Swaminathan was a devotee of Netaji. Later she became Lakshmi Saigal. She was a true revolutionary in Indian Freedom Movement, who was the Minister of Women’s Affairs in Azad Hind Government. Towards the end of World War 2, she was imprisoned in a jail in Burma under the name of ‘Captain Lakshmi’.
• Lakshmi, who hailed from Malabar region, had passed MBBS Examination from ‘Madras Medical College’ before she took charge of the women’s brigade of Azad Hind Fauj at Netaji’s call. In 1947, she married Prem Kumar Saigal and started living permanently in Kanpur.
• Anyway, Dr. Lakshmi Swaminathan took charge of Jhansi Brigade’, comprising of 856 women, on 16th July 1943. Her crusade against the British started on 23rd October. These women had a role in the establishment of a Red Cross Unit also.
• Lakshmi Swaminathan made the ‘Jhansi Brigade’ ever stronger by recruiting voluntary women from Burma and Malay. A woman soldier of Jhansi Brigade once commented, ‘We are all ready to die.
• There is no women in this brigade who is scared of death’. In March 1946 Lakshmi Swaminathan was arrested and kept in the Red Fort, Delhi. In 1998, Dr. Lakshmi Saigal was awarded with the title ‘Padmabibhushan’ by the then President of India, K. R. Narayanan.

Women of Bengal Women started leaning towards armed movement during the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement in 1905. From 1910, upper-class, educated women started forming various social organisations.

• Bina Das got her inspiration for armed movement from the students’ organisation of which she was a member. In Coomilla, school students Suniti Choudhury and Shanti Ghosh assassinated District Magistrate Stevens on 14th December 1931 and were sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Ujjwala Majumdar was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the attempted murder of Governor Anderson. Jyotikana Dutta was jailed for 4 years
  for secretly possessing a pistol and Sabitri Devi for giving refuge to Surya Sen.
• Parul Mukherjee was convicted in ‘Titagarh Conspiracy Case’ and sentenced for three years in jail. They were all educated, urban women. But from the time of World War 2, many peasant women became involved in the movement.

The Participation of Women in Armed Revolution Tebhaga and Women: From Tebhaga Movement the nature of women’s. participation had undergone a sea change. Adivasi, Tribal, Namashudra, Scheduled Caste, and Muslim women, followed the path of armed resistance, ignoring the police and administration’s brutalities. Ela Mitra, Rina Guha, and others were fire-brand leaders of the Tebhaga Movement (1948-49).

6. Deepali Sangha (1923):

Deepali Sangha (1923) Foundation: In December 1923, Leela Nag (Roy) (2.10.1903.-11.06.1970) established ‘Deepali Sangha’ in Dhaka consisting 12 members. She was born in Panchgaon of Sylhet, Bangladesh. Her father was Girish Chandra Nag.

Deepali Sangha (1923) Objectives: She passed the B. A. degree in English from Bethune College with a ‘Padmavati gold medal’ and passed the M. A. from Dhaka University with first class first in English literature.

• She got married Anil Roy (13.5.1939) and they joined the ‘Forward Bloc’ of Netaji. Before her death Leela Roy was senseless for 29 days in hospital. The organisation had played vital role in the emancipation of women of Bengal. The objectives of Deepali Sangha were as

1. A Girls’ High School named ‘Nari Shiksha Mandir’ in 1928.
2. An Adult Education Centre and
3. 15 Primary Schools were opened.
4. ‘Kamrunnesha Girls High School’ was founded in 1924 for Muslim girls. These educational institutions were run by the ladies of Deepali Sangha. Apart from this,
5. Prepare women for the anti-British freedom movement,
6. Training for physical exercise, sword fighting, Lathikhela to crease energy and courage of women.
7. For exihibition of arts and crafts and other hand made products of women ‘Deepali Art Exihibition’ started in 1924.
8. Foundation of ‘Deepali School’, ‘Deepali Siksha Mandir’, ‘Siksha Bhaban’, etc.
9. To appoint young girls in the creative and welfare activities.
10. Deepali Sangha also organised exercise and physical education for women. Branches of this organisation were spread all over Bengal, even in remote areas. From 1925 “Srisangha” of Anil Roy and Deepali Sangha of Leela Roy helped each other. Practically ‘Srisangha’ was a branch of Deepali Sangha for revolutionary women.

Class 10 History Chapter 7 Important Questions

Deepali Sangha (1923) Evaluation: Rabindranath Tagore joined the sabha formed by the members of Deepali Sangha. One of the main aims of Deepali Sangha was to inculcate the spirit of patriotism among women.

• Leela Roy founded ‘Deepali Chhatri Sangha’ in 1926, the first girl students’ organisation in India, and introduced the practice of politics among women. She founded ‘Chhatri Bhavan’ in 1930 and edited a monthly magazine ‘Jayashri’ in 1931. She was arrested in 1931 and was sent to jail up to 1938, which weakened her organisation.

7. Pritilata Waddedar (05.05.1911-24.09.1932):

1. Pritilata of Chittagong was the first revolutionary woman of India to become a martyr. During her student days, she was an enthusiastic worker of ‘Deepali Sangha’ in Dhaka and ‘Chhatri Sangha’ in Calcutta. She regularly contributed from her meagre family income to the revolutionary group in Chittagong. She was an associate of Masterda Surya Sen during the Chittagong Armoury Raid on 18th April 1930.
2. She was in regular contact with Ramakrishna Biswas, who was on death row, and Surya Sen, who was in hiding in Dhalghat. She, along with Surya Sen, Nirmal Sen, and Apurba Sen, assassinated Captain Cameroon of the Army and had to go on hiding in the jungles (1932) at night at 10.00 pm.
3. On 24th September 1932, Pritilata led a group of seven young men, raided a European club in the hilly. areas of Chittagong and killed a high-ranking official, while seriously injuring a few. She came back unscathed, called her countrymen for similar self-sacrifice, and committed suicide on the same day by consuming Potassium Cyanide (KCN).
4. She’ also fought in the battle of ‘Jalalabad hill’ (1930) and ‘Battle of Dhalghat’ (1932). She took the disguise name ‘Phulhar’ as the first female martyr of India. Dr. R. C. Majumder in his book ‘The History of Modern Bengal’ said the main objective of Pritilata’s sacrifice of live is to encourage the youths of India to join to the revolutionary movement.

8. Kalpana Dutta (Joshi) (1913-1995):

1. Kalpana Dutta was born in a famous family of Chittagong. When she was a student of Bethune College, Kalpana Dutta made relation with the revolutionaries Purnendu Dastidar and Nirmal Sen. Rabindranath Tagore called her by the name “Agnikanya”. Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutta, Indumati Singha and others had participated with Surya Sen in Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930).
2. After the raid of the European club, Pritilata choose to commit suicide, but Kalpana Dutta was on the run, eluding the police. Later on they captured her and she was sentenced for life imprisonment. History still remembers Kalpana Dutta with great respect for her anti-British, revolutionary activities during Gandhiji’s Civil Disobedience Movement.
   • It can be mentioned that she was staying in Gahira village when she was in hiding after Chittagong Armoury Raid. She planned to destroy the jail with the Dynamite for releasing the revolutionaries from prison.
   • For this reason ‘Dynamite Conspiracy Case’ was started. The Police got the information and surrounded the village. All the revolutionaries managed to escape except Kalpana Dutta (wife of P. C. Joshi) and Tarakeswar Dastidar.
3. On 18th May 1933, they surrendered to the police after the battle of Gahira. Kalpana was sentenced to life-long imprisonment and Tarakeswar was hanged. After release, she joined the Communist Party of India.

Revolutionary Students Movements in 20th Century India

• Students’ movement began in India in the second half of the nineteenth century. The editor of Hindu Patriot, Harish Chandra Mukherjee, and eminent writers like Girish Chandra Ghosh, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Rangalal Banerjee wielded the pen to instill patriotism among the students.
• Satyendra Nath Tagore in an article ‘Amar Balyokatha’, or Reminiscences of my Childhood, wrote about students’ awakening. During the nationalist period, various patriotic songs, poems, and plays had influenced the student community.
• According to Krishna Kumar Mitra, Ananda Mohan Basu was the first sponsor of students’ organisations. But, the ‘Students’ Association’ was formed in Calcutta at the behest of Surendra Nath Banerjee. In this way, students’ movement started assuming definite features and character.

Class 10 History Chapter 7 Important Questions

Revolutionary Students’ Movements in 20th Century India Features: If we analyse the growth of students’ movement during the twentieth century, the notable feature that will be observed is that, from Partition of Bengal to World War 1 (1905-1918),

1. The main basis of the students’ movement was an anti-British, political movement.
2. Spontaneous protests of individuals culminated into united and well-organized students movement.
3. During this time, the students answered to the calls of national leaders and joined the National Movement.
4. The students of Brajamohan College founded by Aswini Kumar Dutta took part in the freedom movement in 1905.
5. Kshudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki were accused for their attempt to murder of Kingsford.
6. They also conducted the movements by themselves whenever it was needed. During the freedom movement, when there were idealistic differences of opinions between the left and the right-winged politics, the students got involved wholeheartedly.
7. The students” movement of this time was also noted for its secular and non-communal character. It was free from all kinds of conservative ideas and from the influence of national leaders.
8. The students primarily protested against unfair dealings, injustice, discrimination, and deprivation in society. Growth of separate students’ organizations was an important feature of post World War 1 students’ movement.

Revolutionary Students’ Movements in 20th Century India Activities:

1. Their self-sacrifice, service, fearlessness, and truthful, progressive nature gave a unique character to the students’ movement.
2. Students’ Movement before 1919 had two main features, namely, during Swadeshi period, their extreme enthusiasm about boycotting British goods helped to enhance anti-British feeling all around.
3. The young students community were greatly influenced by revolutionary movements, Russian Revolution (1917), and equality and socialist ideals. Gunadhar Hazra was the first student martyr of Bengal who was killed in the police custody for his revolutionary activities.
4. After World War 1, on one hand independent students organizations and movements started taking shape, while on the other, an idealistic war was raging centered around social development. Students’ movement during 1918, and 1939 was marked by different features.
5. According to Government Report 190 national schools and colleges in and its 15,000 students joined the anti-partition movement. Jatin Das, the president of the Students’ Union of Bangabasi College died in Lahore Jail for 64 days of fasting.
6. At that time founder of ‘Nao Jawan Bharat Sabha’, a college student Bhagat Singh was hanged on 23rd March 1931 at the end of the trial “Lahore Conspiracy Case” (1929-31). From the movement protesting against the Rowlatt Act of 1919 to Civil Disobedience. Movement of 1933, the students started a larger movement through. their own organisation and independent demands.
7. We can say that it was a movement of the students, for the students, and by the students, directed towards the well-being of the people in general. On 6th April 1919, a students’ strike took place across the country from Lahore to Kanyakumari and from Bombay to Calcutta, against Rowlatt Act. Gandhiji was arrested during the strike. Students from all communities, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh, brought out processions and organised meetings.

Revolutionary Students’ Movements in 20th Century India Students’ Union: Khusiram was the first student martyr from the Punjab, who died from police bullets. In course of time, need for their own political agenda and organisation was felt among the students, so, students’ organisations like ‘Lahore Students’ Union (1927), All India Students’ Federation (1936), Delhi Students’ Union (1931) and Indus Students’ Union were formed.

• Students’ Movement of Bengal was a part of National Movement, yet it lacked proper direction because the student leaders became divided into two groups in 1929. ‘All Bengal Students’ Association’ (ABSA) was formed under the leadership of Jyotindra Mohan Sengupta and ‘Bengal Presidency Students Association’ was formed under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose.
• On 25th July 1935, a provincial students’ organisation called the ‘Bengali Students’ League’ was formed by Biswanath Mukhopadhyay. In 1942, the first Parliament of Students was constituted in Calcutta University, which was presided over by Pratap Chandra Chanda.
• Differences of opinion and clashes between the leftists and the rightists marked the students’ movement in the post-World War 2 period. The character of the movement itself changed because of the political scenario in this period. Anti-Fascism students’ movement became the order of the day. This continued from 1935 to 1945. However, this movement did not take place in all the provinces of India.
• On 27th November 1933, Romain Rolland warned the students of India about the dangers of Fascism. This supplied oxygen to the anti-Fascism students’ movement in India.

Class 10 History Chapter 7 Important Questions

Revolutionary Students’ Movements in 20th Century India Importance: The students’ movement in the twentieth century was of great importance in many ways. Firstly, students’ movement empowered the Freedom Movement of India.

• Secondly, although it was primarily directed by the students, the movement always manifested itself as an anti-British movement.
• Thirdly, while the students’ movement was in one hand helpful in the growth of students’ politics, on the other it helped to consummate India’s Freedom Movement.
• Fourthly, the progressive, spirited, fearless, self-sacrificing, and revolutionary nature of the movement had kept many national leaders in a spirited form.
• Fifthly, inspired by the movement, many students organisations came into being, which kept their mark in the country through their service and social work.
• Sixthly, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, while addressing a meeting of the Students’ Federation in December 1944 at Mohammad Ali Park, told the gathering, ‘All India Students’ Federation deserves to be commended for their services during famine and epidemic.
• Seventhly, many eminent politicians, leaders, ministers, and administrators have evolved out of students’ movement and students’ politics.
• Whatever way the students’ movement of the twentieth century is presented in the pages of history, barring a few exceptions, it was a good thing that happened in our country.

1. Students’ Movement during the Anti-Partition Movement of Bengal:

1. When Lord Curzon planned to partition Bengal (16th October 1905), the students’ movement went into turmoil, not only in Bengal, but outside also.
2. The most important aspect of the movement was that the Hindu and Muslim students fought together.
3. At the initiative of Ripon College (present-day Surendranath College), Calcutta, 5000 students took out a procession and had a meeting in College Square as a protest against the partition of Bengal. Barristers Abdul Rasul and Liaquat Hossain addressed the meeting.
4. During the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement, (1905-11) students, teachers, and intellectuals came together. Another important aspect of the students’ movement during this period was a boycott of all foreign goods and picketing.
5. An important feature of students’ movement at that time was revolutionary activities and secret organisations like Anushilon Samity and Jugantar Dal. Kshudiram Bose, a student of Hamilton School of Midnapur in an attempt to assasinate Magistrate ‘Butcher’ Kingsford, inadvertently killed Miss and Mrs. Kennedy (1908).
6. Students’ Movement in Bengal at that time was led by people like Surendranath Banerjee, Ananda Chandra Roy, Aswini Kumar. Dutta, Ambika Charan Majumdar, Umesh Chandra Gupta, Kishorimohan Choudhury, Anathbandhu Panja and Bipin Chandra Pal.
7. Rabindranath Tagore, in a Rakshabandhan ceremony, gave a call to students of all categories to join the mass boycott movement.

• To protest against Carlyle Circular Act (10th Oct. 1905) students of Rangpur and Madaripur were united for which 150 students of Rangpur were expelled from school. It was opposed by students in a meeting hold at College Square (4th Nov. 1905) where Calcutta University was criticised by Brahmabandhab Upadhyay as “Goldighir Golamkhana” by Brahmabandhab Upadhyay. Satish Chandra Mukherjee founded “Dawn Society” and “National School” for the growth of Swadeshi Education.
• So, while analysing the students’ movement, it can be said that the Government was under great pressure and had to remove the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1912 and the decision for partition of Bengal was annulled on 12th December 1911.

West Bengal Class 10 History And Environment Notes

2. Students Movement during Non-Cooperation Movement:

At the Annual Conference of Congress at Nagpur in December 1920, it was decided to start Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement for achieving independence.

1. Hindu-Muslim unity and awakening was a direct outcome of this decision.
2. During the movement, the students mostly engaged in boycotting schools, and colleges, strikes, street corner meetings, non-cooperation, and non-violence. The non-communal character of students’ movement was intact till then. Many students who joined the Non-Cooperation Movement promised themselves that they would not return to their classes till independence was achieved. Up to January 1921 nearly 90,000 students left school and colleges.
3. In Bengal, during Non-Cooperation Movement, it was decided to launch strikes and boycotts under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose (1921). Students started hartal after coming Prince of Wales in Bombay (17 Nov. 1921) ‘Deshapran’ Birendranath Sashmal led the school and college students of Midnapur in the Non-Cooperation Movement. The main characteristic feature of the students’ movement in Bengal during Non-Co- operation Movement was that the national students’ organisation was yet to be formed.
4. Two years after Non-Cooperation, Movement, the ‘Calcutta Students’ Association’ was formed under the leadership of Biren Dasgupta. Non-Cooperation Movement was a success although there were no students’ organisations present at that time. The students followed Gandhiji in his path of non-violent satyagraha and introduced mass following in anti-British protests. In India 800 schools were built known ‘National Institute’ as substitute education for the rusticated students.
5. One of the important programmes of non-cooperation was to give up relations with government educational institutes. On the other hand the positive programme of it was to establish ‘Kashi Vidyapith’, ‘Gujarat Vidyapith’, ‘Gaudiya Sikha Niketan’, etc. of 190 national schools and colleges. There were 15,000 learners in these institutes. Under the leadership of Jakir Hossain Jamiya Milia Islamiya’s institute was set up in Delhi. This was possible because of the non-communal character of the movement.

3. Students’ Movement during Civil Disobedience. Movement:

1. On the eve of Civil Disobedience Movement Subhas Chandra Bose’s followers and students of Bangabashi College Jatin Das was appointed as the president and Promod Ghoshal as the secretary of ‘Bengal Provincial Students’ Association’ (BPSA, 1928).
2. Towards the Civil Disobedience Movement, in 1930, students’ unions started developing in places like Kanpur, Lucknow, Aligarh, Allahabad, Berily, Barabbabi, Khurja, Meerut, and Dehradun after the formation of Students’ Federation in Uttar Pradesh.
   • These students were revolting off and on, that cannot be called a students’ movement in the strict sense of the term. Gandhiji had said, ‘In recent years, students were seen at the forefront of any revolution that had taken place’. During Civil Disobedience Movement the student movement extremely expanded in U.P. and was out of control of the Congress.
   • Their movement in Assam was aggressive, but in Bihar students were not so active in movement. The students of Bombay has apathy to form student movement and therefore Congress criticised them as “Passive students”.
   • ‘All Bengal Students Association organised the salt satyagraha. Jatindra Mohan Sengupta broke Govt. law by reading prohibited political booklets. Students of ‘Howrah Zilla School’, ‘Hooghly Mahasin College’ and ‘Dhaka University’ were physically tortured by police during this movement.
   • In 1930, many students were arrested on charges of barricade and satyagraha on the 12th of April at College Square, the 14th of July at Presidency College, 18th of July at Bethune College, and 19th July at Scottish Church College.
3. During her prosecution, Bina Das said, ‘At all places and all times, the students’ community will inspire people to protest against unfairness and injustice. ‘She wanted the students’ movement to have a revolutionary character.

4. Students’ Movement during Quit India Movement:

Students Movement during Quit India Movement Characteristics: Quit India Movement started on 9th August 1942 and ended in 1944. During this time Gandhiji. gave his call, ‘If you want to remain unwavering in your struggle till independence is achieved, then, shun school-colleges and forget about studies for the time being and get ready for the ultimate fight. The characteristic features of the students’ movement at that time can be understood if we look at the glorious role played by them during Quit India Movement.

1. The students joined the movement without caring for Government’s threats for arrest or paying any heed to various restrictions.
2. Moreover, during this movement ‘Students-Peasants-Workers League’ was formed.
3. Students’ movement took a violent form in Ajamgarh, Balia, Gorakhpur, Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Munger, Champaran, and Shahabad.
4. Widespread students’ strike took place in Calcutta on 13th August and on 15th August in Dhaka. In Assam the Students’ Movement was led by Patgiri, Charu Goswami, Kanaklata Barua and others.
5. In Madras it was student leader K. R. Ganeshmohan Reddy who led the strikes against the repressive policies of the police.
6. The armed Students’ Movement was led by Dharma Pokharkar (10th class student) in Maharashtra, Umabhai Desai in Bombay, Shankarappa in Mysore and Harish Tewari, Ravi Singha and Ram Amre in Lucknow. But, ‘Students’ Federation’, run by Congress and Congress Socialist Party, was banned at the onset of Quit India Movement.
7. As a result, Students’ Movement was led by Communist Party, Forward Bloc and RSP. During the famine of 1943, the students of Bengal distributed food, medicine and other relief materials to the affected people under the umbrella of the ‘Students Teachers Joint Relief Committee’ formed by Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.

5. The Character of Students’ Participation in the Armed Revolutionary Movement:

Some special characteristic features of students’ participation in the armed movement of the twentieth century can be noted.

1. Since the leadership of the Students’ Movement was in the hands of national leaders, the students remained in the forefront of national and armed revolutionary movements.
2. They used their gut feelings and initiative to take instant decisions and run the movement whenever necessary.
3. During National Freedom Movement, when there were differences of opinion between the leftists and the rightists, the students remained united in their progressive and leftist ideals and sacrificed a lot for the cause.
4. In the changed circumstances, it was the students from Bengal who participated in armed movement with secular and non-communal attitude.
5. During Swadeshi Movement, boycott of foreign goods and the awakening of extreme nationalism inspired the students to participate in the armed movement.
6. The students were also influenced by Socialism, Russian Revolution, Democracy, Imperialism, and Revolutionist ideas and started participating in the armed movement,
7. The nature of armed students’ movement was based on revolutionary ideals. So they were in contact with secret organisations of the revolutionaries. That way, neither Congress nor Communists nor any other political party could influence them.
8. Whenever there was a change in the political scenario, the character of the armed revolutionary students’ movement has also changed.

6. Anti-Circular Society (1905):

Anti-Circular Society (1905) Formation: To control the students’ movement three circulars were adopted by British Government Carlyle circular (10th Oct 1905), Leone circular (16th Oct 1905), and Pedlar circular (21st Oct 1905). It was opposed by Sachindra Prasad Basu, who formed. the Anti-Circular Society on 4th November 1905.

• Sachindra Prasad, a follower of Rashtraguru Surendranath Banerjee, formed this society when he was a 4th-year student of Ripon College. So, Sachindra Prasad Basu was arrested by the police and sent to Rawalpindi prison.

Anti-Circular Society (1905) Purposes: The main purpose of forming the Anti-Circular Society were

1. To formulate a national education policy based on the new feeling of nationalism,
2. To boycott foreign education and make people interested in indigenous education,
3. To inculcate interest in swadeshi education,
4. To enthuse national leaders to formulate national education policy as a protest against partition of Bengal,
5. To help the rusticated students to continue their education.

The Carlyle Circular forbade the slogan of ‘Vande Mataram’ or Salutations to the Mother. People joined the Anti-Circular Society as a protest against this also. An important. branch of this society was Defence Association, Its president and secretary were Arabindo Ghosh and Sukumar Ghosh respectively. Its only mouthpiece was ‘Sanjibani’ edited by Krishna Kumar Mitra. The headquarter of the Anti-Circular Society was situated at 4/1, College Square, Calcutta.

West Bengal Class 10 History And Environment Notes

7. Bengal Volunteers:

Bengal Volunteers Foundation: Hemchandra, Ghosh (1884-1980), a young man from Barishal, formed ‘Bengal Volunteers’ (B. V.) in 1912, with a handful of local youth. In time of the Calcutta Session of Congress, Subhas Chandra Bose founded volunteer group in 1928. Many of its members joined the B. V. Párty of Hemchandra Ghosh. His followers were Bhupendrakishore.

• Rakshit Roy, Supati Roy, Satya Ranjan Bakshi, Nikunja Sen, Binoy-Badal-Dinesh etc. The head office of this organization was in Dhaka. He was inspired by Swami Vivekananda, Aurobinda Ghosh, and Brahmabandhab Upadhyay in forming this group.
• He got help from revolutionaries like Khagen Das, Suren Barman, and Krishna Adhikari. Apart from Hemchandra, the other important organizers were Haridas Dutta, Satya Gupta, Supati Roy, Satyaranjan Bakshi, Meera Dasgupta, and Jyotish Joardar.

Bengal Volunteers Objectives and Activities: Activities of B. V. Party were

1. While maintaining the secrecy of their revolutionary activities, B. V. party formed three social welfare organisations during 1921- 22, namely, ‘Social Welfare League’, Sri Sangha’ and ‘Dhruba Sangha’,
2. To undertake various public welfare activities, many young men from Dhaka and a lady worker named Leela Nag (Roy) became members of B. V. party.
3. The monthly journal of this party was called ‘Benu’. Hemchandra Ghosh was the chief whip of the party, however, no one person was responsible for anything in the party. The members worked together as a group.
4. B. V. Party had a number of branches all over Bengal. The members of the B. V. Party started ‘Operation Freedom’ in 1930 to protect against the oppression of police on prisoners. Gandhiji criticized the activities of the B. V. Party as the “Circus of the Park Circus”.
5. Heroic activities of, the party added new dimention to the freedom movement. Binoy, Badal, and Dinesh started the Writers’ Building campaign on 8th December 1930 and killed the Inspector General of Prison Mr. Simpson. It was reported by The Statesman as ‘Corridor Warfare’.
6. Between 1930 and 1935, there were some revolutionaries in the party. They were, Dinesh Gupta (founder of B. V. in Midnapur), Binoy Basu (killer of Simpson), Prodyut Bhattacharya and Nripen Dutta (killers of Douglas); Anath Bandhu Panja (killer of Barge), Moti Mallick (killer of the village guard) and Bhabani Bhattacharya (killer of the Governor of Lebong).
7. Many members of B.V. were jailed in Andamans and Bangladesh. In 1937, all the members of B.V., under the leadership of Hemchandra himself, joined the Forward Bloc party of Subhas Chandra Bose.

8. Surya Sen (1893-1934):

After the death of Bagha Jatin (1915), the revolutionary movement in Bengal was halted for about a decade. Then, with the initiative of Surya Sen, the revolutionary movement was once again revived.

1. His revolutionary activities had started when he was a B. A. student in Behrampore College, but the most important achievement of his life was Chittagong Armoury Raid (18th April 1930). He had spent his prison days in the jails of Hijli, Ratnagiri, and Midnapur.
2. After being released from jail in 1928, ‘Masterda’ Surya Sen formed the ‘Indian Republican Army’ to start his fight against the Government. The notable people who were associated with Surya Sen during this time were Loknath Bal, Ganesh Ghosh, Nirmal Sen, Ambika Chakraborty, Ananta Singha, Upen Bhattacharya, Jiban Ghosal, Kalpana Dutta, Pritilata Waddedar and others.
3. The revolutionaries went out of the Congress office in Chittagong and attacked four centers. These were military armoury, police armory, telegram, and telephone office, and a European Club.
4. The police remained quiet during the whole day of 22nd April 1930, but started their attack after 5 in the evening. For three hours, till 8, after continuous shelling from both sides, the British were forced to retreat.
5. On 16th February 1933, the Gorkha regiment of police. arrested Surya Sen. He was hanged in Chittagong Jail itself on 12th January 1934.
6. It is said that Surya Sen’s dead body was not handed over to his family; instead, it was taken out to deep sea on a ship and thrown into the water. 14 people were sentenced to life imprisonment in Chittagong Armoury Case. Jatin Das died in Lahore Jail after fasting for 63 days.

WBBSE Notes For Class 10 History And Environment

9. Bina Das (24.08.1911-26.12.1986):

• Bina was born in Krishnanagar, Nadia of Bengal Province on 24th August 1911. She was an active member of Jugantar Dal’. Her best friend was Suhasini Ganguli, a freedom fighter. Revolutionary Bina Das was a student of St. John Diocesan Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Calcutta.
• She passed the B.A. (Honours in English) from Bethune College under Calcutta University. On 6th February 1932 Governor Stanley Jackson (former English cricketer) had come as the chief guest at the convocation of the university. She got up on the dais and shot five bullets at Jackson from a very close: range.
• This revolver was given to Bina by her friend Kamala Das Gupta, which she kept into her shawl.
• Somehow he got away unscathed and Bina Das was prosecuted and sentenced to nine years’ rigorous imprisonment at the age of 21 years. She was released from jail in 1939 and edited the magazine known as “Nandini Mandira”. In 1942 she join the Quit India movement. Indian National Congress party and. again went jail from 1942 to 1945.
• From 1946-1947, she was a member of ‘The Bengal Provincial Legislative Assembly and from 1947 to 1951, of the ‘West Bengal Legislative Assembly’.
• She involved in the relief works in Noakhali after riot in 1946. She is well known as an eminent revolutionary and nationalist of Bengal. Her father, Benimadhab Das, was a Brahmo teacher and her mother, Sarala Debi was a social worker.
• Bina was a member of ‘Chhatri Sangha’, which was a semi-women revolutionary organisation of Calcutta. This Sangha was founded by his elder sister Kalyani Das (Bhattacharya).
• Later on Bina got married a revolutionary of the Jugantar Group, named Jyotish Chandra Bhowmik in 1947: She wrote two autobiographical books in Bengali, named ‘Srinkhal Jhankar’ or Rattling of Chains and ‘Pitridaan’ or Gift from a Father. The “Padmashree” awarded Bina an a bitterly cold winter morning died at the roadside in Hrishikesh, present Uttarakhand on 26th December 1986.

10. Rashid Ali Day (12th February 1946):

• Captain Rashid Ali, an eminent officer of Azad Hind Fauj, was sentenced to 7 year’s rigorous imprisonment by a kangaroo court of the British Government, ignoring all the protests, demonstrations, and burning situation at that time.
• As a protest, few lakhs of people of Calcutta along with labourers, students, and workers of tramways, took out processions on 11th February 1946. During the procession 300 students and 48 common men were killed by firing of the police, though Govt.
• Report says 84 students were killed. To protest against this assassination undeclaired strike was observed in Calcutta on 12th February 1946. Muslim League leader H. S. Suhrawardi and Gandhiji’s follower Satish Chandra Dasgupta joined the mass procession.
• The same Communist party, which was passive to Quit India Movement, led processions demanding the release of Rashid Ali and gained tremendous popularity. The Communist Party of India decided to observe, 12th February 1946 as Rashid Ali Day Which was continued up to 14th February.
• On that day the famous Communist leader Somnath Lahiri delivered his historical speech at Wellington Square (Subodh Mullick Square). To control the situation British government was compelled to send an army.

WBBSE Notes For Class 10 History And Environment

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Meaning: ‘Dalit’ is a Hindi word. It is being used in India for a very long time. The extremely poor people, who are deprived of human rights, because of forceful oppression, are called ‘Dalit’. In a journal edited by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Depressed Classes of British Rule has been called ‘Dalit’.

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Role of Phule: The Dalit people of India have been prey to economic, social, political, and cultural deprivation as a result of century old apartheid issues. The first person to start. a. movement in Maharashtra was Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in 1872. For this purpose, he formed ‘Satya Shodhak Samaj’ in 1873.

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Role of B. R. Ambedkar Dalit politics and movement started taking shape and extend with the initiative of his follower, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. From 1924 to 1930, he transformed Dalit Movement into a radical movement. The main purpose of his movement was to

1. End the social problems and deprivation faced by the Dalit people.
2. It was a legal fight along the lines of direct satyagraha.
3. Ambedkar led and organised movements like the Choudar Lake Movement and
4. Kalaran Satyagraha.
5. The untouchable Mahar community were forbidden to use water from Choudar Community Lake.
6. Because of Ambedkar’s movement, not only were the rights of the Dalit people to drink water from the lake restored, but they were also given rights to serve water to all communities. This humane aspect of the movement was depicted in Tagore’s dance drama ‘Chandalika’.

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Dalit Mission’s demands: V. R. Shilde founded ‘The Dalit Mission Society’ in 1906. Its president N. G. Chandravarkar demanded to British a separate electrorate for the backward dalits. Respected, justice Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandravarkar convened a dalit conference on 11 November 1917 where he demanded

1. Compulsary free education for Dalits,
2. To progress the social dignity and status of the dalits and
3. Right, to elect the dalit representatives in the legislative council,
4. In the Montague Chelmsford Reforms Act (1919) dalits were recognised in Indian Politics,
5. As a result, Justice Party of the Dalit’ in Madras was formed and in the election, this party occupied 63 seats out of 98 seats in 1920, and Justice Party’s Government was formed in Madras.
6. In 1918 all India dalit conference 191 was held. But Dr. Ambedkar officially convened the first ‘All India Dalit Conference’ on 30th May 1920.

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Role of Narayan Guru: Sri Narayan Guru (1856-1928) belong to the Ezav community in Kerala and was a Dalit leader. For the restoration of self-respect and development of dalit people he founded 60 temples and started “Bhaikam Satyagraha” on March 1924 at the temple complex of Bhaikam in Travancore.

• In 1925 Gandhiji made a mutual understanding to enter the temple by the lower caste Ezay and Pulaya communities. T. K. Madhaban and N. Kumaran Ashan had active role with Narayan Guru. On 21st October 1931 Gurubayur Satyagraha movement was started by Subrahamanyam Tirumanwar, A. K. Gopalan into, and P. Krishna Pillai for the entry of lower caste hiatus in the temple of Gurubhayaur.
• Ultimately the door of the temple was opened by Maharaja of Tribȧncore for all.

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Movement in Kalaram: The untouchable Dalits were not allowed inside Kalaram Temple in Nasik. As a result, the Dalit Movement was given a religious character.

• A memorandum was signed in the presence of Sankaracharya of Kanchi and it was decided that the Dalits would be allowed to enter into the temple and also hold the holy ropes during Rath Yatra Festival.
• But, finally, the upper-caste Hindus did not allow that to happen. Ambedkar, along with lakhs of followers embraced Buddhism on 14th August 1956. He felt that Buddhism was the true alternative of Brahmanical practices.

WBBSE Notes For Class 10 History And Environment

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Views of Gandhiji and Ambedkar: In 1930, Gandhiji organised the Dalit classes struggle and brought it to the notice of the Government. He felt that the problem of the Dalit people was, in fact, a social problem.

• But Dr. Ambedkar, the first Law Minister of India, viewed it as a political problem created by upper caste people. He took the initiative to solve the problems related to their land, house, and untouchability. The plight of the Dalit people of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu was even greater. Hence, in these states, separate houses, toilets, drinking water, tube-wells, and even crematorium, had to be kept.

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Dalit Rights: During 1960’s, a movement to safeguard the rights of the Dalits had started. It was mainly to safeguard the social and economic rights. This movement was influenced by the ‘Black Panther Rebellion’ of America.

• In India, the Dalit ‘Panther’ had a militant political agenda. The protesters demanded equal distribution of land, increase in the rates of daily wages, chance for free schooling of children and stopping economic oppression.
• Later on, the ‘Bahujan Samaj Party’ (BSP) was adopted. the programs like ‘Dalit-culture Preservation Bill’ and ‘Ambedkar Village Programme’. On 9th July 1972, Namdeb Dhamal, Daya Pawar, Ramdas Sorte, J. V. Pawar and Arjan Dangle started a movement called ‘Dalit Panther’.
• Dalit literature movement spread across India through the ‘D.S-4 Movement’ and through ‘The Republican Party of India’ (RPI) formed by Ambedkar. D.S-4 stands for ‘Dalit-Shoshit-Samaj-Sangharsh-Samity’.

Movement Of Dalit People In 20th Century Evaluation: This movement had been very popular in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Dalit thoughts received national stature through the fortnightly journal, ‘Dalit Voice’, edited by the national journalist V. T. Rajshekhar and published from Bangalore.

• Gayle Omvet, in his book ‘Dalit Vision’, has vividly analysed the social and political reality faced by the Dalit community. The Dalit Movement of Prof. Yashowant Manohar and its effect on Dalit literature had spread across the country, including Bengal.

1. Gandhiji and Ambedkar Controversy on Rights of the Dalit People:

• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) could not accept Gandhiji’s views regarding the rights of the Dalit people. When the British Prime Minister, Sir Ramsey McDonald announced the ‘Communal Award’ (17th August 1932), Gandhiji considered it to be detrimental to both Hinduism and the Dalit people alike. That would stall the process of removal of untouchability from India.
• Gandhiji demanded that there was no harm in reserving more seats for the Dalit people, but they should be elected by the general electorate. He started fasting in Yarbera Jail with this demand (20th September 1932).
• Dr. Ambedkar felt that this fasting was, in fact, a trick to tactfully keep the Dalit leaders under pressure. Later on, the ‘Puna Pact’ (1932) was signed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Ghanashyam Das Birla, Walchand Hirakchand, Madan Mohan Malviya, Thakurdas Tejbahadur Sapru, M. R. Jayakar, Ambedkar and others.
• According to the agreement, a separate electorate for the Dalit people was discarded. As per the Communal Award System, there were 71 seats reserved for the Dalit people in the provincial legislatures, which increased to 147 as per ‘Puna Pact’. In the Central Legislature, 18 seats were reserved for the Dalits.

WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 7 Notes

• After his release from prison, Gandhiji published a journal called ‘Harijan Patrika’ and started the ‘Harijan Movement’ (February 1933) to recognised the Dalits as ‘harijan’ (Son of god).
• Ambedkar was not in favour of this movement by Gandhiji. He told Gandhiji, ‘Adversity of the Dalit community will not be reduced simply by opening the doors of the temples to them, or if they have their meals with the people of higher caste’.
• So, according to Ambedkar, instead of caste politics, one should concentrate on devising ways to improve their socio-economic condition. Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy remarked, ‘Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was a dangerous opponent of Mahatma Gandhi’. In the Round Table Conference held in London (1930) Ambedkar opposed castism and untouchability.
• Gandhiji had viewed the problems of the Dalit community and untouchability as a religious issue. But Ambedkar opposed this view and wanted to deal with it as a socio-economic problem. Ambedkar could not support Gandhiji when he merged the Dalit Movement with the National Civil Disobedience Movement or the involvement of capitalists like the Birlas in the movement.
• Gandhiji supported traditional castism and remarked it as the “tree” of Hindu Society but at the same time he disliked untouchability from society as its “weed”. Therefore he wanted to remove untouchability from society, which will fulfill the dalit rights. But Ambedkar in his book ‘Annihilation of the caste’ said, unless we root out castism from Hindu society, Dalits would not get their proper dignity and rights.
• Ambedkar burnt the first Hindu law book ‘Manu Samhita’ (an early book on untouchability) and formed “The all India Depressed class Congress” (1930). Ultimately through the debate. Ambedkar had become a defender and icon of, the ‘Dalits’ in India. But Gandhiji did not make any organization for dalits or did not take immediate step to ensure equal rights of the dalits in society through constitutional remedies and reservations like Ambedkar. Gandhiji’s ‘Harijan Movement’, ‘Harijan Sebak Sangha’, and publication of ‘Harijan Patrika did not satisfy the Dalits or abolish untouchability or fulfill the Dalit rights.

2. Namashudra Movement in Bengal:

Namashudra Movement in Bengal Role of Harichand: The poor and uprooted oppressed and untouchable peasants of East Bengal were called ‘Namasudra’. Protest against the oppression of the upper class on them was the main cause of namasudra movement which was started in 1872 and ended in 1947.

1. Harichand Thakur (1812-1878) was the founder leader of this movement in. Faridpur.
2. His disciples are called ‘Matua’ whose aim is to create self-respect and self-consciousness among the ‘Namashudras’.
3. Harichand told the Matuas to observe-‘Twelve Orders’ or conducts during the movement against the exploitation of the Brahmins, Zaminders, Priest etc.
4. He advised the namashudras for taking education and said “No lose for lack of food, but education is must for the children”.

Namashudra Movement in Bengal Role of Guruchand:

1. Harichand’s son Guruchand (1846-1937) demanded to change the name of the Chandalas as ‘Namashudra’ in 1881. His demand was recognised in the census report of 1911.
2. Therefore he is called the father of Namashudra reform movement. In 1908 the Namashudras founded their own organisation for movement with the publication its mouthpiece namely ‘The Pataka’ Patrika.
3. It was edited by Namashudra leader Raicharan Biswas. He claimed the Namashudras as Brahmin. In the editorial, he said that 25 lac Namashudras, are depressed for the oppression of the Hindu Kings.
4. Under the presidentship of Guruchand ‘the first namashudra conference’ was held in 1881 at Dattadangha of Khulna.
5. He founded a primary school and Higher English School for the Motuas at Oriakandi, Faridpur.
6. Guruchand’s grand son Promoth Ranjan Thakur joined the Motuas with the Indian National Congress and protested against the partition of Bengal on the eve of independence. He founded ‘Motua Maha Sangha’ at Thakurnagar of North 24 Parganas.

Namashudra Movement in Bengal Nature: Namashudra is a large community among Hindus.

1. They hail from different areas of India and Bangladesh. They are peasants and boatmen by profession.
2. Sócially, they do not belong to the four main castes of Hinduism, they are outcastes. They have been prey to social deprivation and oppression for racist reasons.
3. They were very often referred as ‘Chandals’ or bad people. The Namashudras had fought not only against social ostracization but also against the imposition of additional taxes on them.
4. In Faridpur, East Bengal, ‘Namashudra. Samity’ was formed to oppose communalism. Towards the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, they tried to gain improvement in their social conditions and other benefits through the ‘Namahshej Samaj Movement’.
5. The Hindu sage of the Nineteenth century, Swami Vivekananda was so disheartened from the conditions of the Namashudra community that, he said, ‘One day the Chandals will rise to the level of the Brahmins’.
6. When the ‘Tenants’ Act’ was passed in 1929, Desahpran Birendranath Sashmal, a peasant leader from Midnapur had opposed it. During this time, the British Government and Congress both sided with the landlords and moneylenders belonging to higher castes.

Namashudra Movement in Bengal Progress: In Bengal, the Nama’shudra community and Muslims were detached from the Congress. When Fajlul Haque formed the ‘Krishak Proja Party’ with these people, radical Hindu leaders like Jitendralal Banerjee and Atul Gupta joined it, thereby giving a boost to the Namashudra Movement. After Montague Chelmsford reforms (1919) demand for Namashudra representatives was accepted by British Govt.

Namashudra Movement in Bengal Leaders and organization:

Some eminent leaders of the Namashudra Movement were Harichand Thakur, Guruchand Thakur, Pramoth Ranjan Thakur, Mukunda Bihari Mallick, Rajendranath Mondal, Virat Chandra Mondal, Jogendranath Mondal, etc. They build some organisation for Namashudra like ‘Namashudra Welfare Association’, ‘The all Bengal Namashudra Conference’ (1881), ‘Bengal Namashudra Association (1912), ‘All Bengal Namashudra Society (1926), ‘Bengal Depressed Classes Association’ (1926), ‘All India. Depressed Classes Association’ (1930) etc.

Movements Organized by Women Students And Marginal People In 20th Century India Very Short Question And Answers

Question 1. Which day was declared as International Women’s Day?
Answer:

4th March 1975.

Question 2. Which class of women were more active during the Anti-partition of Bengal Movement?
Answer:

The women of higher caste and educated or western educated women.

Question 3. Who formed the ‘Bhagini Sena’ or army of sisters?
Answer:

Matangini Hazra.

WBBSE Class 10 Environment Chapter 7 Solutions

Question 4. Which institutions were opened at the initiative of Deepali Sangha’?
Answer:

A girls’ High School, an Adult Education Centre, and 15 Primary schools.

Question 5. What was the women’s brigade in ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ known as?
Answer:

Jhansi Brigade.

Question 6. When did the students’ movement begin in India?
Answer:

The second half of the nineteenth century.

Question 7. What was the reason for the students’ strike all over the country on 6th April 1919?
Answer:

Protest against Rowlatt Act.

Question 8. What was the character of students’ movement in the post-World War 2 period?
Answer:

The anti-Fascism students’ movement became popular.

Question 9. What was the main achievement of Surya Sen?
Answer:

Chittagong Armoury Raid was the main achievement of Surya Sen.

Movements Organized by Women Students And Marginal People In 20th Century India True Or False

Question 1. Leela Nag was associated with Deepali Sangha.
Answer: True

Question 2. The students movement before World War 1 was secular and hon-communal in character.
Answer: True

Question 3. Women did not participate in armed revolutionary activities.
Answer: False

Movements Organized by Women Students And Marginal People In 20th Century India Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. Gandhiji laid stress on women’s participation in Non-violent, Non-co-operation Movement through ________ movement.
Answer: Khadi

Question 2. Sarojini Naidu was also known as the ________
Answer: Bulbul of India

Question 3. The first women martyr of Quit India Movement was ________
Answer: Pritilata Waddedar

Question 4. ________ was the first student martyr from the Punjab.
Answer: Khusiram

Question 5. Students’ Association was formed at Calcutta at the behest of _________
Answer: Surendranath Banerjee

Class 10 History Chapter 7 Important Questions

Movements Organized by Women Students And Marginal People In 20th Century India Short Answers

Question 1. What were the features of the students’ movement before 1919?
Answer:

Students’ movement during this period were marked by two important features, viz., their extreme enthusiasm about boycotting British goods enhanced anti-British. feeling all around and the young students community was greatly influenced by revolutionary movements, The Russian Revolution, and equality and socialist ideals.

Question 2. What was ‘Bengal Volunteers’?
Answer:

Bengal Volunteers or B.V. was a social welfare organization, with its head office in Dhaka, set up by Hemchandra Ghosh. He was inspired by Swami Vivekananda, Aurobindo Ghosh, and Brahmabandhab Upadhyay. The B.V. party also participated in many covert revolutionary activities. Later, all the members joined the Forward Bloc party of Subhas Chandra Bose.

Question 3. How did the students participate in Quit India Movement?
Answer:

The students joined the movement without caring for the government’s threat of arrests or paying heed to any restrictions. Students’ movement took a violent form throughout India. Since the ‘Students’ Federation’ run by Congress was banned, it was led by Communist Party, Forward Bloc, and RSP. They actively participated in various social service and relief activities. Students’ Movement spread like a huge wave from Kashmir to Kanyakumari during this time.