SWADESHI MOVEMENT

Swadeshi Movement: Timeline and Important facts that you must know

                   

The Swadeshi Movement, now known as 'Make in India' campaign was officially proclaimed on August 7, 1905 at the Calcutta Town Hall, in Bengal. Boycott movement was also launched along with the Swadeshi movement. The movements included using goods produced in India and burning British-made goods.. Bal Gandadhar Tilak encouraged Swadeshi and Boycott movement after the British government decided the partition of Bengal.

Timeline of Swadeshi movement:

• In 1900, Bengal was the major province in British India. The Indian national movement began in Bengal and thus, Britishers decided to part Bengal. 

• When Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India, announced the partition of Bengal in July 1905, Indian National Congress, initiated Swadeshi movement in Bengal. Swadeshi movement was launched as a protest movement which also gave a lead to the Boycott movement in the country.

• In 1909, the movement had spread across the country and people had started anti-partition and anti-colonial movements. In Andhra Pradesh, the Swadeshi movement was also known as Vandemataram movement

• In 1910, there were many secret associations that had been set up and there were many revolutionary movements, which were synonymous to Swadeshi movement

• Later movements by Mahatma Gandhi from 1915, such as Satyagraha movement, Non-Cooperation movement etc. were based on Swadeshi movement.

L. M. Bhole identifies five phases of the Swadeshi movement.

• 1850 to 1904: developed by leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, Gokhale, Ranade, Tilak, G.V. Joshi.
• 1905 to 1917: Began with, and because of the partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon.
• 1918 to 1947: Swadeshi thought shaped by Mahatma Gandhi, accompanied by the rise of Indian industrialists.
• 1948 to 1991: Widespread curbs on international and inter-state trade. India became a bastion of obsolete technology during the licence-permit raj.
• 1991 onwards: liberalization and globalization. Foreign capital, foreign technology, and many foreign goods are not excluded and doctrine of export-led growth resulted in modern industrialism.

Key people in the Swadeshi movement:
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Bipin Chandra Pal
Lala Lajpat Rai
Aurobindo Ghosh
VO Chidambaram Pillai
Babu Genu

Summary

The Swadeshi and Boycott movements were started to oppose the Partition of Bengal.

The Boycott movement 
The idea of boycott was started after the failure of peaceful campaigns and petitions. Rabindranath Tagore and Ramendra called for the observance of Raksh Bandhan and Arandhan on the day of the partition.

The Swadeshi movement
This movement also started to oppose the partition of Bengal. ‘Swadeshi’ means of one’s own country according to this people should use goods produced within the country. This was lead by Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, in the year 1905. Swadeshi movement received the support of the youth.

Spread of the Movements
British goods were burnt at public places. The youth of Bengal took active part in the movements. Women gave up the use of glass utensils and stopped wearing foreign bangles. Use of foreign paper was refused by Students. Foreign goods like sugar and cloth were not allowed to use. Those who didn't take part in this movement were socially boycotted.

Results of Boycott Movement
The Charkha which was a spinning wheel represented the country’s economic self-sufficiency.
This encouraged purchasers to buy native produced goods thereby boycotting British goods

Results of Swadeshi Movement

• Hindus and Muslims Cooperated
• Youth were ready to sacrifices.
• Social barriers like class and creed disappeared
• The press became fear less.
• The unity among the people increased.

Impact of Swadeshi and Boycott Movements

Nationalism
Lord Curzon intended to bring in differences among the Indians with the partition of Bengal, but they were against him. The movements encouraged nationalism and patriotism.

Native Industries
The movement contributed to the growth of native industries such as textile mills, match and soap factories, tanneries and potteries. Formation of banks and insurance companies too grew during this period.

Cultural Life
The culture of the National poetry and prose by great Indian writers such as Rabindranath Tagore, Mukunda Dass and RajaniKanta Sen had a great impact on Indians. Political journalism that resulted from the movements gave an impulse to freedom, liberty and self-reliance.

Education
National educational institutions were opened for imparting literacy, technical and physical education. The International University at Shantiniketan was one of them which was founded by Tagore in Bengal.

Mode of protests
People’s sacrifice and new mode of protest were to be seen all over. Thousands of people were arrested and sent to jail. Peaceful processions were subjected to lathi charges. New mode of protests like hartals, picketing, demonstration on roads, boycott of goods and institutions became part and parcel of Indian national movements.