what is the role of Assam in freedom movement?
Answers
Answer:
From the ancient period the women of India had been taking active part in politics. In the period of Vedas
women like Gargi and Maitrayee played active role in Indian politics. In the following period during the reign of
the Sultanates and the Mughals women like Sultana Rajiya and Nurjahan looked after the administration of the
empire. But the participation of women of the country up to the 19th century state policy was restricted only to
the members of the royal and noble families. The socio−economic condition of that time was not favorable for
womanhood to take part in the political sphere. The all India Women’s Organizations like the Bharat Mahila
Parishad was established in 1904 and Bharat Stri Mahamandal and the Women’s Indian Association were
established in 1910 and 1917 respectively.
In 1920, Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi started the Non−cooperation movement as an only instrument to
expel the British from India who had occupied the country in 1757 AD as a result of the battle of Plassey and
ruled for nearly 200 years. Right from the days of consolidation and expansion of the British imperialists design
in India a feeling of uncompromising and anti−imperialism prevailed in the country. The East India Company −
a British commercial company who had established rule in India was mainly concerned with making profit.
They were primarily motivated to maximize profit through minimum capital investment. So it was a period of
exploitation of local resources and expansion of private business. The people of India tried to resist it from its
inception. The first big resistance of its kind came in the form of a revolt in 1857. Though it was the first great
struggle of the people of India for gaining freedom from British imperialism yet it failed due to the
organizational weakness.
In 1885 the Indian National Congress was established. It provided a common forum for the meeting of people
from all parts of the country and formulation of a common program of activity for freedom struggle. It was from
this platform that M.K. Gandhi started his first Non−cooperation movement in the form of “Satyagraha”. The
two major elements of “Satyagraha”were truth and non−violence. He defined it to be soul force, or love force,
the force which is born out of truth and non−violence. The “Satyagrahi” would refuse to do whatever he
considered to be wrong. He would remain peaceful under any circumstances and instigations. He would resist
evil but would not hate the evildoer. He would keep truth not by inflicting suffering on the opponent but by
accepting suffering himself. He hoped thereby to arise the conscience of the evildoer.
Explanation:
The freedom movement took a new turn in Assam after the visit of Mahatma Gandhi, as the Assam Association led by Chabilal Upadhyaya had ceased to function. Chabilal Upadhyaya (a prominent leader in India’s freedom struggle from Assam, and also the first president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee) took leadership of the Gorkha community during the Non-Cooperation Movement. And from here on, the involvement of the Gorkhas started.
Gandhi visited several parts of Assam and appealed to the people to start weaving cloth at home with the help of the ‘charkha’ to become self-reliant. In Behali, Mazgaon (a historical place in the Biswanath district), a number of Gorkha freedom fighters like Ramlal Upadhyaya, Hariprasad Upadhyaya, Tikaram Upadhyaya and Brihaspati Upadhyaya appealed to the people to boycott foreign goods and start wearing handmade garments.