Question

Which among the following statements about the peasant movements in India is/are not correct? i All India Kisan Sabha was formed in 1936. ii. Bardoli Satyagraha was a peasant movement led by Jaya Prakash Narayan in 1928. iii. The Bhoodan Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi at Pochampalli in Telangana. iv. The play, 'Nil Darpan by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, portrayed the sufferings of indigo cultivators.

• A. Only i, ii & iii
• B. Only i, ii&i
• C. Only i, iii & iv
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Only i, iii & iv

Understanding Peasant Movements in India

• All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)

  • The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was indeed formed in 1936.
  • Its inaugural session was held in Lucknow.
  • Swami Sahajanand Saraswati served as its first president, and N.G. Ranga was its general secretary.
  • The AIKS aimed to mobilize peasants against feudal exploitation and advocate for their rights, playing a significant role in the Indian nationalist movement.

• Bardoli Satyagraha

  • The Bardoli Satyagraha was a major peasant movement that took place in 1928 in the Bardoli taluka of Gujarat.
  • It was primarily led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
  • The movement was organized against the arbitrary increase in land revenue by the British government.
  • It was a highly successful non-violent civil disobedience movement, and it earned Vallabhbhai Patel the title of 'Sardar' (leader) from the women of Bardoli.
  • Jaya Prakash Narayan, while a prominent socialist leader and freedom fighter, was not involved in the leadership of the Bardoli Satyagraha.

• Bhoodan Movement

  • The Bhoodan Movement (Land Gift Movement) was launched by Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 1951.
  • It originated in the village of Pochampalli, which is now in Telangana.
  • The movement aimed at persuading wealthy landowners to voluntarily donate a portion of their land to landless poor farmers.
  • While inspired by Gandhian ideals of non-violence and social justice, it was initiated by Vinoba Bhave after Mahatma Gandhi's demise (Gandhi died in 1948).

• 'Nil Darpan' Play

  • The famous Bengali play 'Nil Darpan' (The Indigo Mirror) was written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1860.
  • It vividly depicted the brutal exploitation and atrocities suffered by the indigo cultivators at the hands of European indigo planters in Bengal.
  • The play played a significant role in exposing the plight of indigo farmers and generating public sympathy, contributing to the Indigo Revolt (1859-60).
  • Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was a celebrated Bengali novelist and poet of the same era, known for works like 'Anandamath' and 'Vande Mataram', but he did not author 'Nil Darpan'.