write in short about anti partition movement and working class?
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The decision to effect the Partition of Bengal (Bengali: বঙ্গভঙ্গ) was announced on 19 July 1905 by the Viceroy of India, Curzon. The partition took place on 16 October 1905 and separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. The Hindus of West Bengal who dominated Bengal's business and rural life complained that the division would make them a minority in a province that would incorporate the province of Bihar and Orissa. Hindus were outraged at what they saw as a "divide and rule" policy[1][2] (where the colonisers turned the native population against itself in order to rule), even though Curzon stressed it would produce administrative efficiency. The partition animated the Muslims to form their own national organization on communal lines. In order to appease Bengali sentiment, Bengal was reunited by Lord Hardinge in 1911, in response to the Swadeshi movement's riots in protest against the policy and the growing belief among Hindus that east Bengal would have its own courts and policies.
Background
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The Bengal Presidency encompassed Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Assam.[3] With a population of 78.5 million it was British India's largest province.[4] For decades British officialdom had maintained that the huge size created difficulties in effective management[5][6] and had caused neglect of the poorer eastern region.[7] The idea of the partition had been brought up only for administrative reasons.[8] Therefore,[9] Curzon planned to split Orissa and Bihar and join fifteen eastern districts of Bengal with Assam. The eastern province held a population of 31 million, most of which was Muslim, with its centre at Dhaka.[10] Once the Partition was completed Curzon pointed out that he thought of the new province as Muslim.[11] Lord Curzon's intention was to divide Bengalis, not Hindus from Muslims.[12] The Western districts formed the other province with Orissa and Bihar.[13] The union of western Bengal with Orissa and Bihar reduced the speakers of the Bengali language to a minority.[14] Muslims led by the Nawab of Dhaka supported the partition and Hindus opposed it.[15]
Partition
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See also: Bengal Presidency (Partition of Bengal, 1905)
The middle class of Bengal saw this as the rupture of their dear motherland as well as a tactic to diminish their authority. [16] In the six month period before the partition was to be effected the Congress arranged meetings where petitions against the partition were collected and given to impassive authorities. Surendranath Banerji admitted that the petitions were ineffective and as the date for the partition drew closer began advocating tougher approaches such as boycotting British goods. He preferred to label this move as "swadeshi" instead of boycott.[17] The boycott was led by the moderates but minor terrorist groups also sprouted under its cause.[18]
Banerji believed that other targets ought to be included. Government schools were spurned and on 16 October 1905, the day of partition, schools and shops were blockaded. The demonstrators were cleared off by units of the police and army. This was followed by violent confrontations, due to which the older leadership in the Congress became anxious and convinced the younger Congress members to stop boycotting the schools. The president of the Congress, G.K. Gokhale, Banerji and others stopped supporting the boycott when they found that John Morley had been appointed as Secretary of State for India. Believing that he would sympathise with the Indian middle class they trusted him and anticipated the reversal of the partition through his intervention.[19]
Political crisis
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The partition triggered radical nationalism. Bengali Hindus were upset with their minority status in the new province. They began an angry agitation, featuring terrorism, as younger members adopted the use of bombings, shootings[20] and assassinations in a blend of religious and political feelings.[21] Vande Mataram(meaning 'hail the mother'), praising the goddess who represented India, Bengal and Kali, was a rallying cry. Bengal was interpreted as the goddess which had been victimised by the British.[22] Although there were prominent Muslim speakers the Muslims were indifferent to the movement.[23] The British would have been spared from many complications had they not split Bengal. With each case of suppression, terrorism increased in Bengal. Indian nationalism would have been more liberal in the absence of this partition.[24]