struggle for political freedom was
important. This struggle was based on
broad philosophy of man’s emancipation.
Therefore in the course of this struggle
along with political dependence there was
opposition to things like feudalism, social
inequality, economic exploitation. Like
freedom the principle of equality is very
important. From that point of view the
contribution of movements built up by
various social groups such as farmers,
workers, women, dalits etc as well as the
stream of socialism giving importance to
equality, proves to be significant. Without
realising its contribution we will not be
able to understand the developmental
process of Modern India. Therefore let us
study some of these movements.
Peasant Movement : The Indian
farmers had to suffer due to the ill effects
of British economic policy. The British
Government used to protect the landlords
and money lenders. They gave unjust
treatment to the farmers. On many
occasions the farmers rose against this
injustice. The peasants in Bengal formed
their union and revolted against the
compulsion of cultivating indigo. The play
‘Neel Darpan’ written by Deenbandhu
Mitra brought to the notice of the society
the wretched conditions of the peasants
producing indigo. In 1875, farmers from
Maharashtra rose in revolt against the
atrocities of the landlords and money
lenders. The farmers in Uttar Pradesh
formed ‘Kisan Sabha’ in 1918 under the
leadership of Baba Ramchandra. The
Mopla peasants rose in a great revolt in
Kerala. But the British government crushed
it down.
Sane Guruji built up unity of the
workers. He tried to create strong
centre of workers union at DhuleAmmalner. He was the President of
Mill Workers Union of Ammalner.
He went on fast unto death to open
the doors of Vithal temple at Pandharpur
for the Dalits.
In 1936, with the initiative of Prof.
N.G.Ranga, the ‘Akhil Bharatiya Kisan
Sabha’ was established. Swami
Sahajananda Saraswati was the President
of this organisation.
This Sabha presented a
declaration of peasants’
rights to the Indian
National Congress. The
session of the Congress
was held in the rural
part of Faizpur in
Maharashtra. Thousands
of peasants attended
this session.
In 1938, the crops
in eastern Khandesh
were destroyed due to
heavy rains. The
condition of the
farmers was miserable.
In order to get the
land revenue waived,
Sane Guruji organised
meetings and
processions at many
places. He took out marches on the
Collector office. The peasants participated
in large numbers in the revolutionary
period of 1942.Workers Union :
In the latter half of
19th century, textile
mills, railway
companies and such
industries were
started in India. The
workers group had
not aroused on large
scale but in this
period efforts were
made to solve the
problems of the workers. Sashipada
Banerjee and Narayan Meghaji Lokhande
organised the workers at local level.
Lokhande’s contribution to the working
class movement was so valuable that he
is described as ‘Father of Indian Workers
Movement’.
there was rise of worker class in India, and
then a necessity for nation wide worker
union was felt. With this necessity, in 1920,
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)
was established. N.M.Joshi had a major
role in the working of AITUC. Lala Lajpat
Rai was the President of the first session
of AITUC. He told the workers to actively
participate in the national movement.
Shripad Amrut Dange, Muzaffar
Ahmed such socialist leaders, by spreading
the socialist ideology among the workers,
worked to form
militant organisations.
In 1928, the Mumbai
Mill Workers Union
went on strike for six
months. Many such
strikes were made by
the Railway workers,
jute mill workers etc.
The government was
disturbed to see the
growing strength of the
workers movement. To supress this
movement legislations were made. The
workers struggle proved to be supportive
to the national movement.
Socialist Movement : Many of the
young activists in the Indian National
Congress felt that for protecting the
interest of the people it is necessary to
overthrow the British Government.
Similarly, they started realising that the
society should be restructured on the
principle of economic and social equality.
Through this realisation, there was rise
and growth of Socialist ideology.
The Socialist youths, while they were
in prison at Nasik, decided to form the
Socialist Party within the Indian National
Congress. According to this decision, in
1934, the Congress Socialist Party was
formed which included leaders like
Narayan Meghaji
Lokhande
At the same time an agitation was
launched against the wretched condition of
the tea plantation workers in Assam. In
1899, the Great Indian Peninsular (GIP)
Railway workers called for a strike for
their demands. During the anti partition
movement workers carried out strikes from
time to time in support of Swadeshi. After
the First World War, due to industrialisationAcharya Narendra Dev, Jayprakash
Narayan, Minu Masani, Dr. Ram Manohar
Lohia etc. In Quit India movement of
1942, these young socialists were in the
forefront.
Indians got introduced to Karl Marx
and his Communism. Lokmanya Tilak
had already written an article on Marx
in 1881. After First World War the
influence of Communism was felt in
India. Manavendranath Roy played active
role in the International Communist
Movement.
In 1925, the Communist Party was
formed in India. The work of building
militant organisations of workers and
peasants was done by the young
Communists. The British Government
started feeling the danger of communist
movement. Shripad Amrut Dange,
Muzaffar Ahmed, Keshav Neelkanth
Joglekar etc. were arrested. They were
charged with planning of a conspiracy to
overthrow the British rule. They were
given different punishments. The trial
took place at Meerut and is therefore
known as the ‘Meerut Conspiracy Case’.
Even after the Meerut trial, the influence
of Communist workers movement remained
constant.
Feminist Movement : In the Indian
social system, women were given
secondary position. Due to many evil practices, they were
subjected to injustice.
But during the modern
period there was an
awakening against it.
Some of the male
reformers took
initiative in the reform
movement related to
women, in the course
of time women leaders started coming
forward. Their independent institutesorganisations came to
be established. Pandita
Ramabai established the
‘Arya Mahila Samaj’
and ‘Sharda Sadan’,
similarly ‘Seva Sadan’
founded by Ramabai
Ranade are examples of
this. ‘Bharat Mahila
Parishad’ (1904) and
‘All India Women's Conference’ (1927)
were founded as well. Therefore this
institutional work reached at the national
level. For the issues such as right to
inheritance, right to vote etc. women had
to struggle through the medium of these
organisations.
Rakhmabai Janardan Save was the
first practicing woman
doctor in India. She
delivered series of
lectures related to
health issues of
women. She also
opened a branch of
Red Cross Society at
Rajkot.
During the 20th century, participation
of women in public life began to increase.
Women's participation in the national
movement and revolutionary work was
significant. After the Act of 1935, women were included in the Provincial Ministries
as well. After independence, the principle
of equality of men and women has been
clearly stated in the constitution of India.
Dalit Movement : The Indian social
structure was based on inequality. Social
reformers like Mahatma Jyotirao Phule,
Narayan Guru brought about awakening
of the people against the unjust treatment
given to Dalits in the society. Following
the teachings of Mahatma Phule, Gopal
Baba Walangkar and Shivram Janba
Kamble worked for the eradication of
untouchability. In 1888, Gopal Baba
Walangkar, in his book ‘Vitaal
Vidhwansan’ condemned untouchability.
Shivram Janba Kamble started the
magazine ‘Somavanshiya Mitra’ on 1 July
1908. He raised voice regarding issues of
Muralis and Jogtins. He also took initiative
for marriages of Devadasis. In Tamil
Nadu, Perriyar Ramaswamy started a
movement for eradication of untouchability.
In 1906, Maharshi Vitthal Ramji
Shinde started the ‘Depressed Classes
Mission’ for the progress of the Dalits.
The important part of their work was to
make the Dalits self respectful, well
educated and engaged in work, while the
second part of their work was to destroy the delusive ideas
regarding dalits in the
minds of the upper
castes. For this
purpose he founded
marathi schools, work
schools in parts of
Parel, Deonar in
Mumbai. He actively
took part for the
benefit of Dalit class
regarding satyagraha
for entry in Parvati temple at Pune,
Shetkari Parishad of Dalits, federal
electorate etc.
Rajarshi Shahu gave support to the
leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
During his period, he led the Non Brahmin
movement. Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj made
revolutionary declaration for reservation in
state of Kolhapur.
He made a law for
free and compulsory
primary education.
He did substantial
work for abolition
of caste
discrimination.
There were three
restrictions put up in
the caste system.
Prohibition of inter
dining with certain
castes (Rotibandi), prohibition of intercaste
marriages (Betibandi), prohibition of
pursuing certain occupation
(Vyavasaybandi). In this regards, during
meetings and conferences Shahu Maharaj
ate food from the hands of Dalit people
and overthrew the restriction on inter
dining. Shahu Maharaj believed that till
the restriction on inter marriage is followed
till then the caste distinction will not be
uprooted. He passed the Act of inter caste
marriage and gave it a legal acceptance
in his State. On 22 February 1918, he
abolished the ‘Balutedari System’ by publishing a declaration in the Government
Gazette of the state of Kolhapur. Permission
was granted to practice any occupation by
anyone. By giving freedom of occupation,
by Shahu Maharaj, the people were freed
from a type of social slavery.
The Justice Party did valuable work
for social equality in South India. Mahatma
Gandhi took up the
issue of eradication
of untouchability in
his hands and put it
up on the platform of
Indian National
Congress. While at
Yerwada prison, he
debated with the rigid
Hindu Pandits stating
that the religious texts
of Hindus do not support untouchability.
He gave inspiration to Harijan Sevak
Sangh. By taking inspiration from him
Amrutlal Vitthaldas Thakkar alias Thakkar
Bappa, Appasaheb Patwardhan etc. these
activists dedicatedly worked for equality.
The struggle of the Dalits began under
Satyagraha at the Chavdar Lake in Mahad
the leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
He aimed at establishing a society based
on principles of Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity. He was convinced that the
injustice to the Dalits and inequality would
not end unless the caste system was
completely uprooted. According to him,
social equality was the right of the Dalits.
He intended to carry out a movement
based on self repect. From this point of
view he established the ‘Bahishkrut
Hitkarini Sabha’ in July 1924. ‘Be
Educated, Be Organised and Be Agitated’,
was the inspirational message given by
him to his followers.
Babasaheb Bole got a bill passed
in the Bombay Provincial Assembly for
the public water reservoirs to be opened
to the untouchables. However, in reality,
the water reservoirs were not accessible
to the Dalits and hence Dr.Babasaheb
Ambedkar and his followers started
Satygraha at Chavdar lake in Mahad. He
also burned the Manusmriti which
advocated inequality. In 1930, he started
Satyagraha for the entry of Dalits in the
Kalaram temple at Nasik. This Satyagraha was led by Karmaveer Dadasaheb
Gaikwad.
Newspaper was an integral part of
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s movement.
To create awakening in the society and
to voice out their grief, Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar started newspapers like
‘Muknayak’, ‘Bahishkrut Bharat’,
‘Janata’, ‘Samata’ etc.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
established the ‘Independent Labour
Party’. He opposed the laws that went
against the interest of the workers. In
1942, he established ‘All India Scheduled
Castes Federation’, to put forth the issues
of Dalits in an effective manner. Through
the Constitution of India, Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar made a significant contribution
to the creation of a social structure based
on equality in Modern India. In 1956,
along with his innumerable followers, he
embraced Buddhism that advocated
humanity and equality.
The struggle for equality has a
prominent position in the making of
Modern India.
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