Indian National Movement (Part-III)

Total Questions: 50

1. At which Congress session was the working committee authorised to launch a programme of Civil Disobedience? [2005]

Correct Answer: (b) Lahore
Solution:At Lahore session (1929, President J.L. Nehru) the working committee was authorised to launch a programme of Civil Disobedience.

Civil Disobedience Movement(1930) is regarded as the second major mass movement and a distinct advancement in widening the social reach of India's struggle for freedom after the Non-Cooperation Movement. Known also as Salt Satyagraha, it was also the first time when Congress put the objective of complete independence to the British authority as well as to the Indian masses.

The Civil Disobedience Movement was formally launched by Mahatma Gandhi on 6 April 1930 by breaking salt law after his historic Dandi March. It was followed by the widespread arrest of national leaders throughout the nation..

2. In October 1920, who headed a group of Indians gathered at Tashkent to set up a communist party of India? [2005]

Correct Answer: (d) M.N. Roy
Solution:

The Communist Party of India (CPI), founded in 1920, advocated radical societal changes inspired by Marxist and socialist ideals. Founders like M.N. Roy and Abani Mukherji established CPI in Tashkent after the second Congress of the Comintern, reflecting growing discontent among young nationalists seeking alternatives to Gandhian non-violence principles.

Throughout the 1920s, the CPI played a vital role in the national movement, organising workers' and peasants' parties while facing government crackdowns, including the Meerut conspiracy case in 1929. Despite these challenges, the CPI collaborated with the Indian National Congress, promoting Marxist and communist ideals and significantly influencing India's struggle for independe

3. Who drafted the resolution on fundamental rights for the Karachi session of Congress in 19312: [2005]

Correct Answer: (b) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
Solution:

The Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress took place in between 26-31 March 1931 and was presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The session took place after the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev and was marked by grief, protests and deep political debates. Nehru drafted the resolution on Fundamental Rights. The Karachi session also strongly condemned communalism, stressing national unity against colonial rule, and authorized the resumption of the Civil Disobedience Movement if British promises were not fulfilled. Overall, the Karachi Session was a turning point as it broadened the struggle from merely seeking independence to envisioning a free India based on political freedom, social justice, and economic equality, and its resolutions remained the guiding framework for Congress policies in the years ahead.

4. Who among the following was not associated with the formation of U.P. Kisan Sabha in February 1918? [2005]

Correct Answer: (c) Jawaharlal Nehru
Solution:UP Kisan Sabha was founded by Indra Narayani Dwivedi and Gauri Shankar Misra in 1918. MM Malviya supported their efforts.

By June 1919, the UP Kisan Sabha had 450 branches. Other prominent leaders included Jhinguri Singh, Durgapal Singh and Baba Ramchandra.

Kisan Sabha Movement
• It was against the stronghold of taluqdars in Awadh over agrarian society. Majority of the cultivators were subjected to high rents, summary evictions (bedakhali), illegal levies and renewal fees or nazrana. World War I worsened the condition with rising prices of essential items.
• It was mainly due to the efforts of the home rule activists that Kisan Sabhas was organized in UP. The UP Kisan Sabha was set up in February 1918 by Gauri Shankar Mishra and Indra Narayana Dwivedi. It was also supported by Madan Mohan Malviya. By 1919, it had 450 branches.
• Other important leaders included- Jhinguri Singh, Duragpal Singh and Baba Ramchandra (On his insistence Nehru visited these villages)
• The Awadh Kisan Sabha came into existence in 1920, which asked the kisans to refuse to till bedakhali lands, not to offer hari and begar (forms of unpaid labour) and solve disputes through panchayat.
• From 1921 onwards activities of movement went beyond mass meetings and mobilisations and came to include looting of bazaars and clashes with the police.
• Centres of Activity- Bareilly, Faizabad and Sultanpur.
• Declined due to government repression and the passing of Awadh Rent (Amendment) Act 1921.

5. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? [2005]

1. Champaran : Rajendra Prasad

2. Ahmedabad Mill Workers: Morarji Desai

3. Kheda : Vallabhai Patel

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: (c) 1 & 3
Solution:Champaran (First Civil Disobedience)-1917; Ahmedabad MillStrike(FirstHungerStrike)-March1918; KhedaSatyagraha (First Non-Cooperation) June 1918.
Ahmedabad Mill Strike: The Ahmedabad Textile Mill Labour Satyagraha of 1918 was a significant event in shaping the working class movement during India's freedom struggle. It occurred in February-March of 1918 in Ahmedabad, primarily led by textile mill workers who were protesting against poor working conditions. The Movement got an uplift when Mahatma Gandhi joined it and negotiated on the side of the workers.
The Ahmedabad Textile Mill Labour Satyagraha of 1918 was one of the three early experiments of the non-violent satyagraha methods by Gandhi in India. The Satyagraha introduced the “hunger strike” to the Indian masses as a means to secure the outcome..

6. Consider the following statements: [2005]

1. Lord Mountbatten was the Viceroy when the Shimla conference took place.

2. Indian Navy Revolt, 1946 took place when the Indian sailors in the Royal Indian Navy at Bombay and Karachi rose against the Government.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only
Solution:Statement 1 is incorrect as Lord Wavell was the Viceroy when Shimla Conference took place in June, 1945.
The Shimla Conference was called in July 1945 to discuss the Wavell Plan. Leaders from the Congress, the Muslim League, and other political groups were invited. Among the notable figures present at the meeting were Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the All India Muslim League, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the president of the Indian National Congress.

7. Consider the following statements: [2005]

1. In the First Round Table Conference, Dr. Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for the depressed classes.

2. In the Poona Act, special provisions for representation of the depressed people in the local bodies and civil services were made.

3. The Indian National Congress did not take part in the Third Round Table Conference.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) 1 and 3
Solution:First Round Table Conference was held from Nov, 1930 -Jan 1931. Second Round Table Conference was held in Dee 1931 in London. Third Round Table Conference was held from Nov 1932-Dec 1932. Indian National Congress did not participate in first and third RTC. Poona Pact was signed by B.R. Ambedkar in September, 1932. The pact abandoned separate electorates for the depressed classes. But the seats reserved for the depressed classes were increased in provincial as well as Central legislatures.

8. Which party was founded by Subhash Chandra Bose in the year 1939 after he broke away from the Congress? [2005]

Correct Answer: (d) Forward Bloc
Solution:Forward Bloc was founded on May 3, 1939. It was a left-wing nationalist political party with its stronghold in West Bengal.
Forward Bloc is a political party that was originally founded by Subhash Chandra Bose on 3 May 1939 in Makur, Unnao (Uttar Pradesh). It was established as a faction within the Indian National Congress. Forward Bloc was the result of ideological differences between Subhash Chandra Bose and the Congress Leadership, which had a passive approach to independence. Seeking a more assertive strategy, Bose believed in taking direct action to achieve complete freedom from British rule.
Forward Bloc sought to bring together all radical elements of the Congress Party. Forward Bloc aimed to promote India's independence while upholding equality and social justice. Forward Bloc was re-established as an independent political party after the independence of India, with its main stronghold in West Bengal.

9. Consider the following statements: [2005]

The Government of India Act, 1935 provided for:

1. the provincial autonomy.

2. the establishment of a Federal court.

3. all India Federation at the centre.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution:Provincial Autonomy replaced Diarchy. All India Federation was to comprise all British Indian provinces, all chief commissioner's provinces and Indian states.

The Government of India Act 1935 significantly impacted India's constitutional development and was the core foundation for the making of the constitution. Its significance can be understood through several key aspects:

  Foundation for Federalism: Established a framework for federalism, though it was not fully implemented; this concept later became central to the Indian Constitution.
  Provincial Autonomy: Abolished dyarchy and granted significant control to provincial governments, enhancing self-governance and Indian participation in administration.
  Electoral Base Expansion: Increased the electorate to about 10% of adults, enabling greater political participation and fostering democratic governance.
  Blueprint for Future Developments: Many of its provisions, such as power division, bicameral legislatures, and minority rights protections, influenced the Indian Constitution.
  Encouragement of Political Mobilization: Fostered the rise of political parties and awareness, providing a platform for Indian leaders to shape future governance..

10. Under whose presidency was the Lahore session of the Indian Congress held in the year 1929, where in are solution was adopted to gain complete independence from the British? [2006]

Correct Answer: (c) Jawaharlal Nehru
Solution:They also celebrated the first Independence day on January 26, 1930, which was the date later selected for the adoption of the Indian constitution.

• The following major decisions were taken at the Lahore session:
  ○ The Round Table Conference was to be boycotted
  ○ Complete independence was declared as the aim of the Congress
  ○ Congress Working Committee was authorised to launch a programme of civil disobedience including non-payment of taxes and all members of legislatures were asked to resign their seats
  ○ January 26, 1930 was fixed as the first Independence (Swarajay) Day, to be celebrated everywhere
• At midnight on New Year’s Eve, President Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the tricolour flag of India upon the banks of the Ravi in Lahore