The Civil Disobedience Movement saw the participation of different social classes and groups.
Give reasons for the participation of the following: a) rich peasants b) poor peasants c)
business classes d) industrial working classes e) women
Answers
answered Dec 12, 2017 by akansha Expert (2,153 points)
Following are the contributions of various social groups in the Civil Disobedience Movement:
(i) Rich peasants : Being producers of commercial crops, they were very hard hit by the trade depression and falling prices. As the government refused to reduce revenue demands, they in great numbers participated in the boycott programmes. For them, the fight for Swaraj was a struggle against high revenues.
(ii) Women : The women participated in protest marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many went to jail. They began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women.
(iii) Business class : A large number of merchants and industrialists supported this movement. They reacted against colonial policies that restricted their business activities. They wanted protection against imports of foreign goods.
(iv) The industrial working class : The industrial working class did not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers except in Nagpur. They selectively adopted some of the ideas of Gandhian programme, like boycott of foreign goods, as part of their own movements against low wages and poor working conditions.
Dear Student,
Please find below the solution to the asked query.
a. Rich peasants communities- like Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement. They were dissapointed with the trade depression and falling prices.Due to lack of cash income, they were unable to pay taxes to the government.The government refused to reduce revenue demand which created widespread resentment and they supported the movement .
b. Poor peasants were small tenants who mainly cultivated on land rented from landlords.Due to lack of income for trade depression, they could not pay rent.For getting remission from high rents, they participated in the movement. But Congress did not address their demands because they felt it might upset the rich landlords and peasants who funded the Congress.
c. The business class and merchants became powerful and earned huge profits during the First World War period. They were interested in expanding business in India and want protection against imports of foreign goods.This forced them to join the movement.To make their demands stronger and effective, they formed Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of commerce and Industries (FICCI). They provided financial assistance to the Congress.
d. Women participated in large numbers. They picketed foreign clothes and liquor shops. But women were not given in position of authority. Their symbolic presence made the movement more conspicuous.