Question

Explain the attitude of the Indian merchants and the industrialist towards the civil disobedience movement

Answer 1

During the First World War, Indianmerchants and industrialists had made huge profits and becomepowerful (see Chapter 5). Keen on expanding their business, theynow reacted against colonial policies that restricted business activities.They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods, and arupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports.To organise business interests, they formed the Indian Industrialand Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the IndianChamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927. Led byprominent industrialists like Purshottamdas Thakurdas andG. D. Birla, the industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indianeconomy, and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement whenit was first launched. They gave financial assistance and refused tobuy or sell imported goods. Most businessmen came to see swarajas a time when colonial restrictions on business would no longerexist and trade and industry would flourish without constraints. Butafter the failure of the Round Table Conference, business groupswere no longer uniformly enthusiastic. They were apprehensive ofthe spread of militant activities, and worried about prolongeddisruption of business, as well as of the growing influence ofsocialism amongst the younger members of the Congress.
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Answer 2

The Indian merchants and the industrialist became

rich and powerful due to huge profits they made during

the First World War. Thus they started opposing the

colonial policies which restricted their business to

expand. They had two demands — protection against

the import of foreign goods and a favourable exchange

ratio of rupee and sterling. In the year 1920 and 1927,

Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress and the

Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and

Industries were formed respectively by the Indian

merchants and industrialist to organize their business

interest.Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla were

the prominent industrialist who supported the Civil

Disobedience Movement, given financial assistance,

refused to buy and sell the foreign goods and attacked

the colonial control. According to the merchants

and the industrialists, the meaning of Swaraj was

expansion of trade and business without restrictions by

the colonial government. But they were disheartened

due to the failure of the Round Table Conference.