Salt Satyagraha_Quit India Movement_Swaraj Party and other movements

India National Movement

(1917-1947)

Indian Nation Movement (1917-1947) 

Swaraj Party

The suspension of the non-cooperation Movement led to a split within Congress in the Gaya session of the Congress in December 22. The leaders like Motilal Nehru and Chittranjan Das formed a separate group within the congress known as the Swaraj Party in 1 January 1923. The Swarajists wanted to contest the council elections and wreck the government form within. Elections to Legislative Councils were held in November 1923. In this, the Swaraj Party gained impressive successes. In the Central Legislative Council Motilal Nehru became the leader of the Party whereas in Bengal the Party was headed by C.R. Das. 

               The Swaraj Party did several significant things in the Legislative Council. It demanded the setting up of responsible government in India with the necessary changes in the government of India Act of 1919. The party could pass important resolutions against the repressive laws of the government. When a Committee chaired by the Home Member, Alexander Muddiman considered the system of Dyarchy as proper, a resolution was passed against it in the Central Legislative Council. After the passing away a C.R. Das in June 1925, the Swaraj Party started weakening. 

Simon Commission (1927) 

           The Act of 1919 included a provision for its review after a lapse of ten years. However, the review commission was appointed by the British Government two years earlier of its schedule in 1927. It came to be known as  𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 after the name of its chairman,  𝙎𝙞𝙧 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙤𝙣. Al it's seven members were Englishmen. As there was no Indian member in it, the Commission faced a lot of criticism even before it's landing in India. Almost all the political parties including the Congress decided to oppose the Commission. 

           On the fateful day of 3 February 1928 when the Commission reached Bombay, a general hartal was observed all over the country. Everywhere it was greeted with black flags and the cries of '𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠. At lahore, the students look out a large anti Simon Commission demonstration on 30 October 1928 under the leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai. In this demonstration, Lala Lajpat Rai was seriously injured in the police  𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞 charge and he passed away after one month. 

            The report of the Simon Commission was published in May 1930. It was stated that the constitutional experiment with Dyarchy was unsuccessful and in its place the report recommended the establishment of autonomous government. There is no doubt that the Simon Commission's Report became the basis for enacting the Government of India Act of 1935.

Quit India Movement 
(1942-1944) 

         The failure of the Cripps Mission and the fear of an impending Japanese invasion of India led Mahatma Gandhi to begin his campaign for the British to quit India. Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi believed that an interim government could be formed only after the British left India and the Hindu-Muslim problem sorted out. The all India Congress Committee met at Bombay on 8 August 1942and passed the famous 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙩 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖  𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. On the same day, Gandhi give his call of '𝙙𝙤 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙚'. 

           On 8th and 9th August 1942, the government arrested all the prominent leaders of the Congress. For once, this pre-planned action of the government left the Indian people without leadership. Mahatma Gandhi was kept in prison at Poona. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, and other leaders were imprisoned in the Ahmednagar Fort. 

           At this time, leadership was provided by Ram Manohar Lohia, Achyut and S.M. Joshi. The role of Jayaprakash Narain  in this movement was important. Large number of students also left their schools and colleges to join the movement. The youth of the nation also participated in this movement with patriotism. Strikes, demonstrations and public meetings were organised in various towns and cities. In 1943, as the movement gained further momentum, there were armed attacks on government buildings in Madras and Bengal. In 1944 Mahatma Gandhi  was released from Jail. Quit India Movement was the final attempt for country's freedom. The British Government ordered of for 538 rounds of firing. Nearly 60,229 persons were jailed. At least 7,000 people were killed. This movement paved the way for India's freedom. It aroused among Indians the feelings of bravery enthusiasm and total sacrifice. 

Indian National Movement

           During the course of the Second World War, armed revolutionary activities continued to take place. The role of Subhas Chandra Bose towards such activities is incomparable. On 2 July 1943, Subhas Chandra Bose reached Singapore and gave the rousing war cry of  '𝘿𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤'. He was made the President of Indian Independence league and soon became the supreme commander of the Indian of the National Army. He gave the country the slogan of  𝙅𝙖𝙞 𝙃𝙞𝙣𝙙. The names of the Ian's three Brigades were the Subhas Brigade, Gandhi Brigade and Nehru Brigade. The women's wing if the army was named after Rani Laxmibai. 

          The Indian National Army marched towards Imphal after registering it's victory over Kohima. After Japan's surrender in 1945, the INA failed in its efforts. Under such circumstances, Subhas went to Taiwan. Then on his way to Tokyo he died on 18 August 1945 in a place crash. 

          The trial if the soldiers on INA was held at Red Fort in Delhi. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai and Tej Bahadur Sapru fought the case on bahalf of the soldiers. 

Salt Satyagraha

           As part of the Civil Disobedience Movement, Gandhi launched the Salt Satyagraha. He undertook the Dandi March in 1930.

            C. Rajgopalachari became the TNCC president in April 1930. Authorised by TNCC and AICC to direct the Salt Satyagraha in Tamil Nadu Rajaji undertook the famous 𝙑𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙩 𝙎𝙖𝙩𝙮𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙝𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝. He selected the route from Tiruchirapalli to Vedaranyam in Thanjauvr district. The March began in Tamil New Year's Day (13th April). The March reached Vedaranyam on 28 April 1930. Two days later Rajgopalachari was arrested for breaking the salt laws. Some of the other important leaders who participated in the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha were T.S.S. Rajan, Mrs Lakshmipathi Sardar Vedaratnam Pilai, C. Swaminatha Chetty and K. Santhanam. 

Tiruppur Kumaran who led the flag March was fatally beaten. Since he guarded the National flag in his hands he wass called Kodu Kaththa Kumaran. 

Commemorating his sacrifice the Government of India issued a postal stamp in his honour. 

          Similarly, the National Movement was encouraged by songs composed by Namakkal Kavinjar Ramalingam Pilai. In his songs he praised the Gandhian methods in the struggle for freedom. He sang that's war is coming without knife and blood'. This highlighted the Gandhian principle non-violent struggle against the British. 

Quit India Movement

         Later, in 1937 when elections were held in accordance with the 1935 Act, Congress won the elections nad formed the ministry in Madras headed by R.C. Rajgopalachari. There were nine other ministers in his cabinet. The ministry was in power from July 1937 to October 1939. The ministry had resigned along with other Congress ministries in the different provinces over the issue of the Indian involvement in the Second World War. 

           During Second War, after the failure of Cripps's Proposals Gandhi had launched the Quit India Movement. In Tamil Nadu Quit India Movement drew the factory workers, students and common people. It was a wide spread Movement. The Buckingham & Carnatic Mills, port Trust  and  the Tramway workers joined the Movement was launched in places like North Arcot, Madurai and Coimbatore. There was police firing at Rajapalayam, Karaikudi and Devakottai. Besides, Subhash Bose's INA had many men and women soldiers from Tamil Nadu. 

            Finally, when India attained independence on 15th August, 1947 the Madras  Government  under   O.P.  Ramaswami Reddiar passed a resolution appreciating the Indian Independence Act. 

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