Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ORGANIZATIONS &
PERSONALITIES
ORGANIZATIONS
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The "Grand Old Man of India" Dadabhai meeting in Bombay, with the approval of Lord
Naoroji initiated establishment of East India Dufferin, the then-Viceroy. Womesh Chandra
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Association, at London. It was one of the Bonnerjee was the first President of the INC. The
predecessor organizations of the Indian National first meeting was scheduled to be held in Pune,
Congress in 1867. The idea was to present the but due to a plague outbreak there, the meeting
correct information about India to the British
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was later shifted to Bombay. The first session of
Public and voice Indian Grievances. In 1869, this
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organization opened branches in Bombay,
Kolkata and Madras. It became defunct in
the INC was held from 28–31 December, 1885,
and was attended by 72 delegates.
1880s. Within a few years, the demands of the INC
became more radical in the face of constant
Indian National Association
opposition from the government, and the party
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The Indian National Association was the first decided to advocate in favour of the
avowed nationalist organization founded in independence movement, as it would allow for
British India by Surendranath Banerjea and a new political system in which they could be a
Ananda Mohan Bose in 1876. The objectives of majorly dominant party. By 1907 the party was
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this Association were “promoting by every split into two-halves—the Garam dal (literally
legitimate means the political, intellectual and "hot faction") of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, or
material advancement of the people”. The Extremists, and the Naram Dal (literally "soft
Association attracted educated Indians and civic faction") of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, or
leaders from all parts of the country, and Moderates—distinguished by their attitude
became an important forum for India's towards the British colonists. Under the
aspirations for independence. It later merged influence of Tilak, the Congress became the first
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with the Indian National Congress. organised independence group in the country,
bringing together millions of people against the
Indian National Congress
British.
The Congress was founded by Indian and
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Jawaharlal Nehru (the nation's first Prime the Congress helped to form the INA Defence
Minister), Dr. Rajendra Prasad (the nation's first
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Committee, which forcefully defended the case
President), Khan Mohammad Abbas Khan, of the soldiers of the Azad Hind government.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Chakravarti The committee declared the formation of the
Rajgopalachari, Dr. Anugraha Narayan Sinha, Congress' defence team for the INA and
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Jayaprakash Narayan, Jivatram Kripalani and included famous lawyers of the time, including
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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. With the already
existing nationalistic feeling combined with
Gandhi's popularity, the Congress became a
Bhulabhai Desai, Asaf Ali, and Jawaharlal
Nehru.
Post-independence
forceful and dominant group of people in the
country, bringing together millions of people by After Indian independence in 1947, the
specifically working against caste differences,
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Congress became the dominant political party
untouchability, poverty, and religious and ethnic in the country. In the first general election in
boundaries. Although predominantly Hindu, it 1952, the party swept to power at the centre as
had members from just about every religion, well as in most state legislatures. The Congress
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ethnic group, economic class and linguistic was continuously in power until 1977, when it
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group. In 1939, Subhash Chandra Bose, the was defeated by the Janata Party. It returned to
elected president in both 1938 and 1939 resigned power in 1980 and ruled until 1989, when it was
from the Congress over the selection of the once again defeated. It formed the government
working committee. The Indian National in 1991 at the head of a coalition, as well as in
Congress was not the sole representative of the 2004 and 2009, when it led the United
Indian polity and other parties existed at the Progressive Alliance. During this period it has
time, notably the Hindu Mahasabha, Azad Hind
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Swaraj Party
as in this session "Purna Swaraj" (complete
independence) was declared as the goal of the Swaraj Party, Indian political party
INC. 26 January, 1930 was declared as "Purna established in late 1922–early 1923 by members
Swaraj Diwas", Independence Day, although of the Indian National Congress (Congress
the British would remain in India for 17 more Party), notably Motilal Nehru, one of the most
years. To commemorate this date the prominent lawyers in northern India, and Chitta
Constitution of India was formally adopted on Ranjan Das, a nationalist politician from Bengal.
26 January, 1950, even though it had been The party’s name is taken from the term swaraj,
passed on 26 November, 1949. However, in meaning “self-rule,” which was broadly applied
1929, Srinivas Iyenger was expelled from the to the movement to gain independence from
Congress for demanding full independence, not British rule.
just home rule as demanded by Gandhi.
The party’s primary goal was to contest the
After the First World War the party became elections to the new Central Legislative Assembly
associated with Mohandas K. Gandhi, who in 1923 and, once in office, to disrupt official
remained its unofficial, spiritual leader and mass policy and derail the Raj (British government in
icon even as younger men and women became India) by anti-government agitation within the
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its members dissolved into the Congress fold. country were ransacked. In 1943, Bose was
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transported to Asia, where he took over the
All India Forward Bloc
leadership of the Indian National Army. During
The Forward Bloc of the Indian National the final phase of the war the INA fought
Congress was formed on 3 May, 1939 by Netaji alongside the Japanese against the British army.
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Subhash Chandra Bose, who had resigned from
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the presidency of the Indian National Congress
on April 29 after being outmaneuvered by
Inside India, local activists of the Forward
Bloc continued the anti-British activities without
central coordination. For example, in Bihar
Gandhiji. The formation of the Forward Bloc was
members were involved in the Azad Dasta
announced to the public at a rally in Calcutta.
resistance groups, and distributed propaganda
Initially the aim of the Forward Bloc was to rally
in support of Bose and INA. They did not have,
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all the left wing sections within the Congress and
however, any organic link either with Bose nor
develop an alternative leadership inside the
the INA.
Congress. Bose became the president of the
Forward Bloc and S.S. Cavesheer its Vice- Post-war reorganization
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movement led by Syed Ahmad Khan, who also Gradually the peasant movement intensified
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helped in founding the party. In 1906, the party and spread across the rest of India. The
was officially found at the educational formation of Congress Socialist Party (CSP) in
conference held in Dhaka to protest against the 1934 helped the Communists to work together
integration of Bengal in 1905. Its original political with the Indian National Congress, however
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goal was to define and advance the Indian temporarily, then in April 1935, noted peasant
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Muslim's civil rights and to provide protection
to upper and gentry class of Indian Muslims.
From 1906–30s, the party worked on its
leaders N.G. Ranga and E.M.S. Namboodiripad,
then secretary and joint secretary respectively
of South Indian Federation of Peasants and
organizational structure, its credibility in all over Agricultural Labour, suggested the formation of
the Muslim communities of British Indian an all-India farmers body, and soon all these
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Empire, and lacked as a mass organization but radical developments culminated in the
represented the landed and commercial Muslim formation of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)
interests of the United Provinces (today's Uttar at the Lucknow session of the Indian National
Pradesh). Congress on April 11, 1936 with Swami
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Following in 1930s, the idea of separate Sahajanand Saraswati elected as its first
nation-state and influential philosopher Sir President, and it involved prominent leaders like
Iqbal's vision of uniting the four provinces in N.G. Ranga, E.M.S. Namboodiripad, Pandit
North-West British India further support the Karyanand Sharma, Pandit Yamuna Karjee,
rational of Two-nation theory. Constitutional Pandit Yadunandan (Jadunandan) Sharma,
struggle of Jinnah and political struggle of Rahul Sankrityayan, P. Sundarayya, Ram
founding fathers, the Muslim League played a Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya
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decisive role in the World War II in 1940s and as Narendra Dev and Bankim Mukherji. The Kisan
the driving force behind the division of India Manifesto released in August 1936, demanded
along religious lines and the creation of Pakistan abolition of zamindari system and cancellation
as a Muslim state in 1947. The events leading of rural debts, and in October 1937, it adopted
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the World War II, the Congress effective protest red flag as its banner. Soon, its leaders became
against the United Kingdom unilaterally increasingly distant with Congress, and
involving India in the war without consulting repeatedly came in confrontation with Congress
with the Indian people; the Muslim League went governments, in Bihar and United Province.
on to support the British war efforts, which was
allowed to actively propagandise against the In the subsequent years, the movement was
Congress with the cry of "Islam in Danger". increasingly dominated by Socialists and
Communists as it moved away from the
After the partition and subsequent Congress, by 1938 Haripura session of the
establishment of Pakistan, the Muslim League Congress, under the presidency of Netaji
continued as a minor party in India. Subhash Chandra Bose, the rift became evident,
All India Kisan Sabha and by May 1942, the Communist Party of India,
which was finally legalized by then government
All India Peasants Union, also Akhil in July 1942, had taken over AIKS, all across
Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, was the name of the India including Bengal where its membership
peasants front of the undivided Communist grew considerably. It took on the Communist
Party of India (CPI), an important peasant party's line of People's War, and stayed away
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countering the nationalist movement.
educated, politically conscious and disaffected
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The Communist Party of India (CPI), split young in local youth societies of Bengal. The
into two in 1964, following which so did the All Dhaka branch of the Anushilan Samiti was
India Kisan Sabha, which each faction affiliated formed by Pulin Behari Das, who was once a
to the splinters. teacher in the Dhaka Government College and,
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later, a founding headmaster of 'National School'
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All India Jamhur Muslim League
The All India Jamhur Muslim League was
(Dhaka), alongwith his followers, in 1906. He,
like Barindra Ghosh, believed in a highly
centralised one-leader organization. Under their
formed in 1940, to counter the Lahore resolution,
leadership, respectively in Dhaka and elsewhere,
passed by the All-India Muslim League, for a
in a spirit of a boastful showdown, Anushilan
separate Pakistan based on Muhammad Ali
Samiti slowly adopted untimely terrorism
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Jinnah's Two nation theory.
programmes during the first decade of 20th
The first session of the party was held at century, with 1905 Partition of Bengal acting as
Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The Raja of Mahmoodabad a major catalyst. The Dhaka branch of
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was elected president and Dr. Maghfoor Ahmad Anushilan was led by Pulin Behari Das and
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Ajazi was elected General Secretary. Later, the spread branches through East Bengal and
Raja of Mahmoodabad changed his mind under Assam. Aurobindo and Bipin Chandra Pal, a
influence of Jinah, who was a long time family Bengali politician, began in 1907 the radical
friend and rejoined Jinnah in 1941. A major Bengali nationalist publication of Jugantar, and
faction of the Jamhur Muslim League under the its English counterpart Bande Mataram. Among
leadership of Dr. Ajazi merged with Congress the early recruits who emerged noted leaders
where Rash Behari Bose, Jatindranath
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organisation in Bengal and the principal secret nationalism abroad. In 1907, Barin Ghosh
revolutionary organization operating in the arranged to send to Paris one of his associates
region in the opening years of the 20th century. by the name of Hem Chandra Kanungo (Hem
Chandra Das), he was to learn the art of bomb
Political activities began taking an organised making from Nicholas Safranski, a Russian
form in Bengal at the beginning of the 20th revolutionary in exile in the French Capital. Paris
century. By 1902, Calcutta had three societies was also home at the time Madam Cama who
working under the umbrella of Anushilan was amongst the leading figures of the Paris
Samity, a society earlier founded by a Calcutta Indian Society and the India House in London.
barrister by the name of Pramatha Mitra. These The bomb manual later found its way through
included Mitra's own group, another led by a V.D. Savarkar to the press at India House for
Bengalee lady by the name of Sarala Devi, and a mass printing. In the meantime, in December
third one led by Aurobindo Ghosh-one of the 1907, the Bengal revolutionary cell derailed the
strongest proponents of militant nationalism of train carrying the Bengal Lieutenant Governor
the time. The Anushilan Samiti had Sri Sir Andrew Fraser. A few days later, on 23
Aurobindo and Deshabandhu Chittaranjan Das December, they attempted to assassinate Mr.
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of the murder, Khudiram Bose was arrested patriotic songs and displayed other forms of
while attempting to flee, while Chaki took his
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defiance, seriously damaged the leadership of
own life. Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, then a the HRA and dealt a major blow to its activities.
member of the group, shot dead Nandalal Many associated with the HRA who escaped
Bannerjee, the officer who had arrested trial found themselves placed under surveillance
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Khudiram. Police investigations into the murders or detained for various reasons, Azad was the
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revealed the organizations quarters in Manicktala
suburb of Calcutta and led to a number of arrests,
opening the famous Alipore Conspiracy trial.
only one of the principal leaders who managed
to escape arrest.
Around the time of the Kakori robbery and
Some of its leadership were executed or
incarcerated, while others went underground. the subsequent trial, various revolutionary
Aurobindo Ghosh himself retired from active groups had emerged in places such as Bengal,
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politics after serving a prison sentence, his Bihar and Punjab. These groups eventually came
brother Barin was imprisoned for life. together for a meeting at Feroz Shah Kotla, in
Delhi, on 7–8 August, 1928, and from this
The result of the trial was a division of the emerged the Hindustan Socialist Republican
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Anushilan Samiti. Two main groups that Association. The socialist leanings voiced in the
remained were the Jugantar itself and the Dhaka earlier HRA manifesto had gradually moved
Anushilan Samiti, in the western and the eastern more towards Marxism and the HSRA spoke of
parts of the Bengal, respectively. The initial a revolution involving a struggle by the masses
Anushilan disappeared. Jatindra Nath to establish "the dictatorship of the proletariat"
Mukherjee escaped arrest in the Alipore case, and the banishment of "parasites from the seat
and took over the leadership of the secret society, of political power". It saw itself as being at the
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to be known as the Jugantar Party. forefront of this revolution, spreading the word
and acting as the armed section of the masses.
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
Its ideals were apparent in other movements
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association elsewhere at that time, including incidents of
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leaving the District Police Headquarters in
As the political scenario changed in the late
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Lahore on 17 December, 1928.
1930s — with the mainstream leaders
The next major action by the HSRA was the considering several options offered by the British
bombing of the Central Legislative Assembly in and with religious politics coming into play —
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Delhi on 8 April, 1929. This was a provocative
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propaganda exercise, intended to highlight the past revolutionaries joined mainstream politics
aims of the HSRA and timed as a protest against by joining Congress and other parties, especially
the introduction of the Public Safety Bill and the communist ones, while many of the activists were
Trade Disputes Bill, both of which had been kept under hold in different jails across the
drafted in an attempt to counter the effects of country.
revolutionary activities and trade unionism.
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Khudai Khidmatgar
Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw
bombs at the empty treasury benches, being Khudai Khidmatgar literally translates as the
careful to ensure that there were no casualties servants of God, represented a non-violent
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in order to highlight the propagandist nature of struggle against the British Empire by the
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their action. They made no attempt to escape Pashtuns (also known as Pathans, Pakhtuns or
and courted arrest while shouting Inquilab Afghans) of the North-West Frontier Province
Zindabad (Long Live the Revolution) and of India.
Samrajyavad ko nash ho (Down with Also called "Surkh Posh" or "Red Shirts", it
Imperialism). Their rationale for the bombing was originally a social reform organization
was explained in a leaflet titled "To Make the focussing on education and the elimination of
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Deaf Hear". This leaflet was also thrown in the blood feuds known as the Anjuman-e-Islah-e
assembly and was reproduced the next day in Afghania (society for reformation of Afghans).
the Hindustan Times. On 15 April, 1929, police The movement was led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar
raided the HSRA's bomb factory in Lahore and Khan, known locally as Bacha Khan or Badshah
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agreed to the partition of India on the provision In the International meeting of Communist
that a referendum was held to ascertain whether parties in Moscow of 1957 the Communist Party
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NWFP would prefer to be part of the new state of China criticized the CPI for having formed a
of Pakistan or India. Realizing they were in an ministry in Kerala. CPI and CPI(M) splits in
untenable position the KK movement decided 1964.
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to boycott the referendum which allowed a The Principal mass organizations of the CPI:
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narrow victory for the Pakistan vote.
The Communist Party of India (CPI)
(a) All India Trade Union Congress
(b) All India Youth Federation
(c) All India Students Federation
The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a
national political party in India with a communist (d) National Federation of Indian Women
ideology.
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(e) All India Kisan Sabha
CPI was formed on 26th December, 1925. It (f) Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union
was inspired by the Great October Socialist (g) All India State Government Employees
Revolution in Russia. Formally announced at the
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Federation
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first Party Conference at Kanpur. It was
preceded by founding of All India Trade Union Revolutionary Communist Party of India
Congress in 1920. The founding members of the (RCPI) was founded by Saumyendranath Tagore
party were M.N. Roy, Evelyn Trent Roy, Abani in 1934, breaking away from the Communist
Mukherji, Rosa Fitingof, Mohammad Ali Party of India (CPI). During the period 1934–
(Ahmed Hasan), Mohammad Shafiq Siddiqui, 1938 the name of the party was Communist
Rafiq Ahmed of Bhopal and M.P.B.T. Acharya. League.
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who met Bose at Benares and requested him to alongside the Babbar Akali Movement. In 1915,
take up the leadership of the coming revolution. they conducted revolutionary activities in central
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But before accepting the responsibility, he sent Punjab and attempted to organize uprisings, but
Sachin Sanyal to the Punjab to assess the their attempts were crushed by the British
situation. Sachin returned very optimistic, in the Government. The party rose to prominence in
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United States and Canada with the aim to
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liberate India from British rule. The movement in strength owing to Indian discontent over
began with a group of immigrants known as the World War I and the lack of political reforms.
Hindustani Workers of the Pacific Coast. After the conclusion of the war, the party in
America split into Communist and Anti-
The Ghadar Party, initially the Pacific Coast Communist factions. The party was formally
Hindustan Association, was formed in 1913 in dissolved in 1948.
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the United States under the leadership of Har
Dayal, Sant Baba Wasakha Singh Dadehar, Baba The Hindu Mahasabha
Jawala Singh, Santokh Singh and Sohan Singh
Bhakna as its president. The members of the party In 1910, an All India Hindu Conference was
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were Indian immigrants, largely from Punjab. organised in Allahabad by leading Hindu social
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Many of its members were students at University and political leaders who sought to organize
of California at Berkeley including Dayal, Tarak Indian Hindus politically in response to the rise
Nath Das, Maulavi Barkatullah, Harnam Singh of the Muslim League. The Hindu Mahasabha
Tundilat, Kartar Singh Sarabha and V.G. Pingle. was founded in 1914 in Amritsar and established
The party quickly gained support from Indian its headquarters in Haridwar. Amongst its early
expatriates, especially in the United States, leaders was the prominent nationalist and
educationalist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya,
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masthead: Angrezi Raj Ka Dushman (an enemy political unity, for the education and economic
of the British rule). "Wanted brave soldiers", the development of Hindus as well as for the
Ghadar declared, "to stirr up rebellion in India. reconversion of Muslims to Hinduism.
Pay-death; Price-martyrdom; Pension-liberty;
Field of battle-India". The ideology of the party While not loyal to the British Raj, the Hindu
was strongly secular. The first issue of The Mahasabha did not actively support agitations
Ghadar, was published from San Francisco on against British rule in India. The Mahasabha
November 1, 1913. refused to endorse any of the movements and
participated in the legislative councils established
Following the voyage of the Komagata Maru by the British, which were otherwise boycotted
in 1914, a direct challenge to Canadian racist by the Congress and most of the population.
anti-Indian immigration laws, several thousand Malaviya's desire for independence through
Indians resident in the USA sold their business constitutional means made the party seem to
and homes ready to drive the British from India. cooperate with the British at a time when
However, Hardayal had fled to Europe nationalist feelings were running high. The
concerned that the US authorities would hand Mahasabha was also affected in its fortunes by
him over to the British. Sohan Singh Bhakna was appearing to be a party dominated by the upper
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became a more intense critic of the Congress and Maharashtra and negligible instances through
its policy of wooing Muslim support. The
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the rest of the country.
Mahasabha suffered a setback when in 1925, its
former member Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar The Liberal party
left to form the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,
The Liberal party was formed about 1910,
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a Hindu volunteer organization that abstained
and British intellectuals and British officials were
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from active politics. Although ideologically
similar to the Mahasabha, the RSS grew faster
across the nation and became a competitor for
the core constituency of the Mahasabha.
often participating members of its committees.
The Indian National Congress, which had been
formed to create a mature political dialogue with
the British government, included both moderates
The party opposed the Quit India movement and extremists. Many moderate leaders with
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in 1942, and like the Muslim League, supported liberal ideas left the Congress with the rise of
the British war effort in the Second World War. Indian nationalism, and extremist leaders like
The Hindu Mahasabha performed poorly in the Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal
elections for the central and provincial legislative Gangadhar Tilak.
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at power-sharing between the Congress and the Srinivasa Shastri and M.R. Jayakar.
League, the Mahasabha condemned the
Congress and Gandhi for agreeing to the Tej Bahadur Sapru emerged as the most
partition plan. important leader among the Liberals. During the
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The Liberals were moderate nationalists who its ideals to be as upholding Indian culture and
openly pursued India's independence from its civilization values more than anything else.
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British rule and resented the excesses of British The group drew inspiration from European
imperialism. They preferred gradual constitutional right-wing groups during WWII. RSS volunteers
reform to revolutionary methods as the means participated in various political and social
of achieving independence and because they
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movements including the Indian independence
attempted to secure constitutional reform by
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cooperating with British authority rather than
defying it. Their goals and methods were
movement and the group became an extremely
prominent Hindu nationalist group in India.
inspired by British Liberalism. They aimed The RSS portrayed itself as a social
toward parliamentary democracy, including not movement and refused to consider itself a
only an institutional structure but a system of political party, and did not play any role in many
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values which emphasized the achievement of of the efforts in Indian independence movement.
national welfare through peaceable negotiation When the Congress passed the Purna Swaraj
and compromise among competing public resolution in 1930, Dr. Hedgewar asked all the
interests. Therefore, the Liberals regularly RSS branches to hoist the Indian flag and
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participated in the legislative councils and organize lectures on the need for independence.
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assemblies at the town, provincial and central However, the RSS emphatically rejected
levels. They also espoused the British system of Gandhiji's willingness to cooperate with Muslims
education and cultural influences on Indian life. in the Anti-British struggle. In 1934, Congress
passed a resolution prohibiting its members from
The Liberal Party opposed Mahatma Gandhi joining RSS, Hindu Mahasabha or Muslim
and the Non-Cooperation Movement (1919- League.
1922), the Salt Satyagraha (1930-31), and the
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Quit India Movement (1942-1945). The Liberal RSS states that its ideology is based on the
party was never popular with common Indians, principle of selfless service to the nation. It has
and distrusted intensely by Indian nationalists. been criticized as an extremist and a paramilitary
With the British decision to grant independence group.
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total upto 150,000 Razakar soldiers were
elected President of the MIM which had a
mobilized to fight against the Indian Union and
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cultural and religious manifesto. It soon acquired
for the independence of the Hyderabad State
political complexion and became aligned with against Indian integration. After the integration
the Muslim League in British India. of the Hyderabad state with India, the MIM was
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The Razakars (volunteers), a Muslim banned in 1948. The Razakar leader Qasim Rizvi
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paramilitary organization aimed at resisting was jailed from 1948 to 1957, and then he was
merger with India, was linked to the MIM. In released on the condition to go to Pakistan, where
total up to 150,000 Razakar soldiers were he was granted asylum.
mobilized to fight against the Indian Union and Before leaving, Qasim Rizvi handed over the
for the independence of the Hyderabad State responsibility of whatever remained of the
against Indian integration. After the integration Ittehad-ul Muslimeen, to Abdul Wahid Owaisi,
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of the Hyderabad state with India, the MIM was a lawyer. Abdul Wahed Owaisi restructured the
banned in 1948. The Razakar leader Qasim Rizvi Party and Organized it into All India Majlis-e-
was jailed from 1948 to 1957, and then he was Ittehadul Muslimeen.
released on the condition to go to Pakistan, where
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he was granted asylum. All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference
Before leaving, Qasim Rizvi handed over the In October 1932, Sheikh Abdullah founded
responsibility of whatever remained of the the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference.
Ittehadul Muslimeen, to Abdul Wahid Owaisi, On 11 June, 1939, it was renamed as the All
a lawyer. Abdul Wahed Owaisi restructured the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. The
Party and Organized it into All India Majlis-e- National Conference was affiliated to the All
India States Peoples Conference. Sheikh
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Ittehadul Muslimeen.
Abdullah was elected its president in 1947. In
State by the advice of Nawab Mir Osman Ali 1946, the National Conference launched an
Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad as a pro-Nizam intensive agitation against the state government.
party. Then it was only Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul
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The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Indian Engineering Industry (AIEI). For the
is an association of Indian businesses which engineering industry the association meant a
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works to create an environment conducive to the stronger affiliation capable of utilizing larger
growth of industry in the country. CII is a non- resources and providing a broader range of
government, not-for-profit, industry-led and benefits.[5]
industry-managed organization, playing a
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1986 - Confederation of Engineering Industry
proactive role in India's development process.
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The organization was founded in 1895 when 5
engineering firms, all members of the Bengal
(CEI)
Foreseeing the upcoming challenges in the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, joined future, the leadership at AIEI felt the need for
hands to form the Engineering and Iron Trades greater consolidation and solidarity that would
Association (EITA). put the industry on a stronger footing and would
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help it meet the challenges of competition and
1895 - Engineering and Iron Trades Association
(EITA) globalization. Thus in 1986 there was a change
in name from AIEI to the Confederation of
EITA established at the end of 1895 with the Engineering Industry (CEI), reflecting the
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aspiration of pressurizing the provincial growth and expansion of the organization since
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government to place orders for iron, steel and 1974. CEI now became an apex body for
engineering goods with companies stationed in manufacturing industries at the national level.
India. The practice back then was to place all
1992 - Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
government orders with enterprises based in UK.
1912 - Indian Engineering Association (IEA) In 1991, industrial licensing was abolished
and economic reforms on a wide scale started
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The revision from EITA to IEA in 1912 taking shape. With effect from 1 January, 1992,
echoed the association's decision to rule out in keeping with the government's decision to opt
traders from the membership and fixate fully on for the liberalisation of the Indian economy, the
promoting the motive of manufacturers. name of CEI was changed to Confederation of
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1942 - Engineering Association of India (EAI) Indian Industry (CII). In a new policy
environment, it was natural that there would
Till 1942, IEA was the sole all-India be inter-sectoral integration through a process
association of engineering industry and of diversification and expansion, where the
characterized mainly big engineering companies, engineering units would diversify into non-
especially the British firms. This drove to a engineering units and vice-versa. Since 1992,
situation where the concern of the Indian through rapid expansion and consolidation, CII
enterprises (mainly medium and small scale) was has grown to be the most visible business
not adequately represented. Hence the association in India.
Engineering Association of India (EAI) was
established in 1942 as a branch of the Indian Founded in 1895, CII has over 7300
Chamber of Commerce. EAI represented small members, from the private as well as public
and medium engineering firms mostly bought sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an
and encouraged by Indians, and had different indirect membership of over 90,000 enterprises
sources and management approaches from the from around 257 national and regional sectoral
IEA. industry bodies.
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Brahmo also spelled Brahma, (Sanskrit: “Society College, Calcutta. He died of cholera in 1833.
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of Brahma”), quasi-Protestant, theistic movement His followers were known as the Derozians and
within Hinduism. The Brahmo Samaj does not their movement the Young Bengal Movement.
accept the authority of the Vedas, has no faith They attacked old traditions and decadent
in avatars (incarnations), and does not insist on customs. They also advocated women’s rights
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belief in karma (causal effects of past deeds) or and their education. They founded associations
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rebirth. It discards Hindu rituals and adopts some
Christian practices in its worship. Influenced by
Islam and Christianity, it denounces polytheism,
and organized debates against idol worship,
casteism and superstitions.
The Arya Samaj
idol worship, and the caste system. The society
has had considerable success with its programs The Arya Samaj was founded by Swami
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of social reform but has never had a significant Dayanand Saraswati. The Arya Samaj
popular following. movement was an outcome of reaction to
Western influences. It was revivalist in form
Whereas Ram Mohun Roy wanted to reform though not in content. The founder, Swami
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Hinduism from within, his successor, Dayanand, rejected Western ideas and sought
A
Debendranath Tagore, broke away in 1850 by to revive the ancient religion of the Aryans.
repudiating Vedic authority and making reason Swami Dayanand (1824-83) believed the Vedas
and intuition the basis of Brahmanism. He tried, were the source of true knowledge. His motto
however, to retain some of the traditional Hindu was “Back to the Vedas”. He was against idol
customs, and a radical group led by Keshab worship, child marriage and caste system based
Chunder Sen seceded and organized the Brahmo on birth. He encouraged inter-caste marriages
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Samaj of India in 1866 (the older group became and widow remarriage. He started the Suddhi
known as the Adi—i.e., original—Brahmo movement to bring back those Hindus who had
Samaj). The new branch became eclectic and converted to other religions to its fold. The most
phenomena achievement of the Arya Samaj has
cosmopolitan and was also most influential in
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The Arya Samaj, though founded in Bombay, Vedanta school of thought. It aims to work for
became very powerful in Punjab and spread its
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universal Brotherhood of Humanity without dis-
influence to other parts of India. It has tinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour. The
contributed very much to the spread of Society also seeks to investigate the unexplained
education. The first Dayanand Anglo-Vedic laws of nature and the powers latent in man.
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(DAV) School was founded in 1886 at Lahore.
C IC The Theosophical Movement came to be allied
Many more schools came up in other parts of with Hindu Renaissance.
India in later years.
In India the movement became somewhat
Prarthana Samaj popular with the election of Mrs. Annie Besant
The Prarthana Samaj was founded in 1867 (1847-1933) as its President after the death of
in Bombay by Dr. Atmaram Pandurang. It was Olcott in 1907. In (1889), she formally joined
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an off-shoot of Brahmo Samaj. It was a reform Theosophical Society. After the death of Madame
movement within Hinduism and concentrated Blavatsky in 1891, Mrs. Besant felt lonely and
on social reforms like inter-dining, inter- decided to come to India. Mrs. Besant was well
acquinted with Indian thought and culture and
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which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual Besant laid the foundation of the Central Hindu
movement known as the Ramakrishna Move- College in Benares in 1898 where both the Hindu
ment or the Vedanta Movement. The mission is religion and western scientific subjects were
taught. The College became the nucleus for the
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then into the Aligarh Muslim University. first ‘modern man of India’. He was a pioneer of
socio-religious reform movements in modern
The Deoband School
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India. Born in 1772 in the Hooghly district of
The orthodox section among the Muslim Bengal, he inculcated a brilliant freedom of
ulema organised the Deoband Movement. It was thought and rationality. He studied the Bible as
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a revivalist movement whose twin objectives well as Hindu and Muslim religious texts. He had
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were: excellent command over many languages
including English, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic,
(i) To propagate among the Muslims the
French, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
pure teachings of the Koran and the
Hadis. In 1815, he established the Atmiya Sabha.
(ii) To keep alive the spirit of jihad against Later, it was developed into the Brahmo Sabha
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in August 1828. Through this organization, he
the foreign rulers.
preached that there is only one God. He
The new Deoband leader Mahmud-ul-Hasan combined the teachings of the Upanishads, the
(1851-1920) sought to impart a political and Bible and the Koran in developing unity among
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Movement. He insisted the worship of God as helping Lord William Bentinck to declare the
nirankar (formless). The Namdhari Movement practice of Sati, a punishable offence in 1829.
was founded by Baba Ram Singh. His followers He also protested against the child marriage and
wore white clothes and gave up meat eating. The
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his ideas. Dayanand‘s ideal was to unite India Swami Vivekananda
religiously, socially and nationally-Aryan
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religions to be the common religion of all, a The original name of Swami Vivekananda
classless and casteless society, and an Indian free was Narendranath Dutta (1863-1902) and he
from foreign rule. He looked on the Vedas. He became the most famous disciple of Shri
Ramkrishna Paramahamsa. He was born in a
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gave his own interpretation of the Vedas. He
prosperous Bengali family of Calcutta and
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disregarded the authority of the later Hindu
scriptures like the puranas and described them educated in Scottish Church College. In 1886,
Narendranath took the vow of Sanyasa and was
as the work of lesser men a responsible for the
evil practices of idol worship and other given the name, Vivekananda. He preached
superstitious beliefs in Hindu religion. Dayanand Vedantic Philosophy. He condemned the caste
condemned idol worship and preached unity of system and the current Hindu emphasis on
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Godhead. His views were published in his famous rituals and ceremonies.
work Satyarthaa Prakash (The True Exposition). Swami Vivekananda is known for his
Dayanand launched a frontal attack on the inspiring speech at the Parliament of the World's
numerous abuses (like idolatry, polytheism, belief
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distict and eternal entities and every individual drawbacks of western culture and the
had to work out his own salvation in the light of contribution of India to overcome those. Freedom
the eternal principles governing human conduct. fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose once said:
In rejecting monism, Dayanand also dealt a
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born in 1820 in a village in Midnapur, Bengal.
Satya Shodhak Samaj
He rose to be the Head Pandit of the Bengali
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Department of Fort William College. He firmly After tracing the history of the Brahmin
believed that reform in Indian society could only domination in India, Jyotirao blamed the
come about through education. He is considered Brahmins for framing the weird and inhuman
as one of the pillars of Bengal renaissance. In
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laws. He concluded that the laws were made to
other words, he managed to continue the suppress the "shudras" and rule over them. In
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reforms movement that was started by Raja
Rammohan Roy. Vidyasagar was a well-known
writer, intellectual and above all a staunch
1873, Jyotiba Phule formed the Satya Shodhak
Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth). The purpose
of the organization was to liberate the people of
follower of humanity. He brought a revolution lower-castes from the suppression of the
in the education system of Bengal. In his book, Brahmins. The membership was open to all and
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"Barno-Porichoy" (Introduction to the letter), the available evidence proves that some Jews
Vidyasagar refined the Bengali language and were admitted as members. In 1876, there were
made it accessible to the common strata of the 316 members of the 'Satya Shodhak Samaj'. In
society. Poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta while 1868, in order to give the lower-caste people
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title of Vidyasagar.
Saint Ramalinga was one of the foremost
Jyotiba Phule
saints of Tamil Nadu in the nineteenth century.
Jyotiba Phule was one of the prominent social He was born on October 5, 1823 at Marudhur,
reformers of the nineteenth century India. He near Chidambaram. He was the last son of his fa-
led the movement against the prevailing caste- ther, Ramayya Pillai and mother, Chinnammayar.
restrictions in India. He revolted against the Developing a deep interest in spiritual life,
domination of the Brahmins and for the rights Ramalinga moved to Karunguli in 1858, a place
of peasants and other low-caste fellow. He near Vadalur where the Saint later settled down.
believed that enlightenment of the women and His divine powers came to be recognized at the
lower caste people was the only solution to early age of eleven. In 1865, he founded
combat the social evils. Therefore, in 1848, he the Samarasa Suddha Sanmargha Sangha for
along with his wife started a school for the girls. the promotion of his ideals of establishing a caste-
Jyotirao attacked the orthodox Brahmins and less society. He preached love and compassion
other upper castes and termed them as to the people. He composed Tiru Arutpa. His
"hypocrites". He campaigned against the other literay works include Manu Murai Kanda
authoritarianism of the upper caste people. He Vasagam and Jeeva Karunyam. His language
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Perumal but he was called Muthukkutty. He a monotheistic doctrine. According to him, the
preached against the caste system and only means of salvation was the practice of surat
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untouchability. He also condemned religious sabdyoga (union of the human soul with the
ceremonies. Many came to his place to worship spirit-current or word) under the guidance of a
him and slowly his teachings came to be known Sant Satguru or sincere lover of the Supreme
as Ayyavazhi. By the midnineteenth century, Being. His teachings were embodied in two
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Ayyavazhi came to be recognized as a separate books, each named Sarr Bachan (Essential
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religion and spread in the regions of South
Travancore and South Tirunelveli. After his
Utterance). The sect recognizes no God of the
Hindu pantheon, nor any temples or sacred
death, the religion was spread on the basis of his places except those sanctified by the presence of
teachings and the religious books Akilattirattu the guru or his relics.
Ammanai and Arul Nool. Hundreds of Nizhal
Shivanarayan Agnihotri
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Thangals (places of worship) were built across
the country. Hailing from UP, he was educated in the
Periyar E.V.R. and Self-Respect Movement Engineering College at Rurki and later became
an active member of the Lahore branch of the
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Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy was a great social Brahmo Samaj. But due to differences with the
reformer. In 1921, during the anti-liquor other leaders of the Samaj, he left it and founded
campaign he cut down 1000 coconut trees in his the Deva Samaj in 1887 at Lahore with aims
own farm. In 1924, he took an active part in the similar to those of the Brahmo Samaj but with
Vaikam Satyagraha. The objective of the an additional element, namely the predominance
Satyagraha was to secure for untouchables the of the guru. The religious text of this Samaj was
right to use a road near a temple at Vaikom in Deva Shastra and the teaching devadharma. The
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Kerala. E.V.R. opposed the Varnashrama policy guru, claiming supernatural powers was
followed in the V.V.S. Iyer’s Seranmadevi practically regarded and worshipped as a god
Gurugulam. During 1920-1925 being in the by his disciples.
Congrees Party he stressed that Congress should
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lifted the colour bar, Bajpai‘s organization controversies with in Islam.
continued its separate existence, for it had the aim
Syed Nazir Husain
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of bringing about the complete Indianisation of
the Boy Scout movement in India. He founded the sect of Ahl-i-Hadis (People
Muhammad Iqbal (1873-1 938) of the hadis) in Punjab in the second half of the
EM
19th century. This group considered only the
He emphasized the need for a reconstruction
C IC hadis (Sayings of the Prophet) and the Quran as
of Muslim religious thought in the light of the the only and the ultimate authority on Islam, and
problems posed by the modem world; criticized refused to recognize none of the existing four
those ascetic elements of religious thought which schools of jurisprudence.
EMINENT PERSONALITIES
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Mahatma Gandhi realized the war that was to be waged against
the British awaits his arrival in India. He returned
Mahatma Gandhi was born as Mohandas to India the next year.
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After completing his college education victory Gandhi was bestowed the title of Bapu
Gandhi left for England on September 4, 1888 and Mahatma and his fame spread far and wide.
to study law at University College, London. In
1893, went to South Africa as a legal advisor to In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi called for the non-
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an Indian firm in South Africa. This decision cooperation movement against the British
alone changed the life of Gandhi, and with that, Government with the sole object of attaining
the destiny of an entire nation. As he descended Swaraj or independence for India. Even though
in South Africa, Gandhi was left appalled at the the movement achieved roaring success all over
rampant racial discrimination against Indians the country, the incident of mob violence in
and blacks by the European whites. Chauri-Chaura, Uttar Pradesh forced Gandhi to
call off the mass disobedience movement.
Soon Gandhi found himself at the receiving Consequent to this, Mahatma Gandhi took a
end of such abuse and he vowed to take up the hiatus from active politics and instead indulged
cudgels on behalf of the Indian community. He in social reforms.
organized the expatriate Indians and protested
against the injustices meted out by the African The year 1930 saw Gandhi's return to the
government. After years of disobedience and fore of Indian freedom movement and on March
non-violent protests, the South African 12, 1930 he launched the historic Dandi March
government finally conceded to Gandhi's to protest against the tax on salt. The Dandi
demands and an agreement to this effect was March soon metamorphosed into a huge Civil
signed in 1914. A battle was won, but Gandhi Disobedience Movement. The Second World
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communal harmony and worked tirelessly to
promote unity among the Hindus and Muslims. Khadi
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But Mahatma's act of benevolence angered Khadi, an unassuming piece of handspun
Hindu fundamentalists and on January 13, 1948. and hand-woven cloth, embodies the simplicity
He was assassinated by Hindu fanatic Nathuram synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi's persona.
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Godse.
C IC After renouncing the western attire of his
Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi advocacy days in South Africa, Gandhi
embraced the practice of weaving his own
The evolution of Mohandas Karamchand clothes from thread he himself spun and
Gandhi into the 'Mahatma' of our times very encouraged others to follow suit. Mahatma used
much hinges on the principles that were the the adoption of Khadi as a subtle economic tool
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guiding light of his life. Till his last breath, against the British industrial might and also as a
Gandhiji unflinchingly adhered to these means of generating rural employment in India.
philosophies often referred by the collective term
'Gandhism'. Over the years the thoughts and the Jawaharlal Nehru
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own mistakes. Fittingly his autobiography was he had returned to India and joined the
titled 'My Experiments with Truth.' Gandhi Allahabad High Court Bar.
strictly maintained that the concept of truth is
above and beyond of all other considerations and In 1916, Nehru participated in the Lucknow
one must unfailingly embrace truth throughout Session of the Congress. There after a very long
one's life. time, member of both the extremist and moderate
factions of the Congress party had come. All the
Satyagraha
members equivocally agreed to the demand for
Gandhiji pioneered the term Satyagraha "swaraj" (self rule). Although the means of the
which literally translates to 'an endeavor for two sections were different, the motive was
truth.' In the context of Indian freedom "common" - freedom. In 1921, Nehru was
movement, Satyagraha meant the resistance to imprisoned for participating in the first civil
the British oppression through mass civil dis- disobedience campaign as general secretary of
obedience. The tenets of Truth or Satya and the United Provinces Congress Committee. The
nonviolence were pivotal to the Satyagraha life in the jail helped him in understanding the
movement and Gandhi ensured that the millions philosophy followed by Gandhi and others
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politics. He advocated the policy of Non-
traveled to the flourished European nations like Alignment during the cold war and India,
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Germany, France and the Soviet Union. Here,
subsequently, kept itself aloof from being in the
Nehru got an opportunity to meet various
process of "global bifurcation".
Communists, Socialists, and radical leaders from
Asia and Africa. Nehru was also impressed with In 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru suffered a stroke
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the economic system of the communist Soviet and a heart attack. On 27 May, 1964, Nehru
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Union and wished to apply the same in his own
country. In 1927, he became a member of the
League against Imperialism created in Brussels,
passed away. Nehru was cremated at the
Shantivana on the banks of the Yamuna River,
Delhi.
the capital city of Belgium.
Vallabhbhai Patel
During the Guwahati Session in 1928,
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Mahatma Gandhi announced that the Congress Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31,
would launch a massive movement if the British 1875 in Gujarat to Zaverbhai and Ladbai. He
authority did not grant dominion status of India completed his law studies in 1913 and came back
within next two years. It was believed that under to India and started his law practice. For his
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the pressure of Nehru and Subhash Chandra Excellencies in Law, Vallabhbhai was offered
Bose, the deadline was reduced to one year. many lucrative posts by the British Government
Jawaharlal Nehru criticized the famous "Nehru but he rejected all. Later, inspired by Gandhi's
Report" prepared by his father Motilal Nehru in work and philosophy Patel became a staunch
1928 that favored the concept of a "dominion follower of him.
status for India within the British rule".
In 1917, Sardar Vallabhbhai was elected as
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In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi advocated Nehru the Secretary of the Gujarat Sabha. The next year,
as the next president of the Congress. The when there was a flood in Kaira, the British
decision was also an attempt to abate the insisted on collecting tax from the farmers.
intensity of "communism" in the Congress. The Sardar Vallabhbhai led a massive "No Tax
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same year, Nehru was arrested for the violation campaign" that urged the farmers not to pay
of the Salt Law. their land. The peaceful movement forced the
In 1936, Nehru was re-elected as the British authority to return the then land taken
president of the Indian National Congress. away from the farmers. His effort to bring
Sources suggest that a heated argument between together the farmers of his area brought him the
the classical and young leaders had taken place title of 'Sardar' to his name. In 1928, the farmers
in the Lucknow Session of the party. The young of Bardoli faced a similar problem of "tax-hike".
and "new-gen" leaders of the party had After prolonged summons, when the farmers
advocated for an ideology, based on the concepts refused to pay the extra tax, the government in
of Socialism. retaliation seized their lands. The agitation took
on for more than six months and after a deal
Fifteen years after the Guwahati Session, on struck between the government and farmer's
15 August, 1947, the congress succeeded to representatives, the lands were returned.
overthrow the influential British Empire. Nehru
was recognized as the first Prime Minister of In 1930, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was
independent India. In the year 1949, Jawaharlal imprisoned for participating in the famous Salt
Nehru made his first visit to the United States, Satyagraha called by Mahatma Gandhi. His
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In the Karachi session, the Indian National
Congress Party committed itself to the defence and Education. But his methods also raised bitter
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of fundamental rights and human rights and a controversies within the Indian National
dream of a secular nation. An agreement Congress Party and the movement itself.
regarding this was also sanctioned.
As a result, Tilak formed the extremist wing
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In 1934, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led the all-
C IC of Indian National Congress Party. Tilak was
India election campaign for the Indian National well supported by fellow nationalists Bipin
Congress. Though he did not contest a seat for Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in
himself, Sardar Patel helped his fellow party Punjab. The trio was referred to as the Lal-Bal-
mates during the election. Pal. A massive trouble broke out between the
moderate and extremist factions of the Indian
At the time of independence, Indian territory National Congress Party in the 1907 session of
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was divided into three parts. First, the territories the Congress Party. As a result of which, the
under the direct control of the British Congress split into two factions.
government, second were the territories over
which the hereditary rulers had suzerainty. The During 1908-1914, Bal Gangadhar Tilak
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regions, which had been colonized by France and spent six years rigorous imprisonment in
Portugal, formed the last. India, without the Mandalay Jail, Burma. He was deported because
integration of these different territories under one of his alleged support to the Indian
roof, could not be considered as a unified and revolutionaries, who had killed some British
total country. Vallabhbhai Patel played a crucial people. Tilak returned to India in 1915 when the
role during the freedom struggle of India and political situation was fast changing under the
was instrumental in the integration of over 500 shadow of World War I. Tilak decided to re-unite
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princely states into the Indian Union. with his fellow nationalists and founded the All
India Home Rule League in 1916 with Joseph
Bal Gangadhar Tilak Baptista, Annie Besant and Muhammad Ali
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a social reformer Jinnah. In mid-July 1920, his condition worsened
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and freedom fighter. He was one of the prime and on August 1, he passed away.
architects of modern India and strongest Gopal Krishna Gokhale
advocates of Swaraj (Self Rule). He was a great
reformer and throughout his life he emphasized Gopal Krishna Gokhale was one of the
on the concepts of women education and women pioneers of the Indian Independence Movement.
empowerment. To inspire a sense of unity, he Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian
introduced the festivals like 'Ganesh Chaturthi' National Congress. He was a leader of social and
and, 'Shivaji Jayanti'. Today, 'Ganesh Chaturthi' political reformists and one of the earliest and
is considered as the prime festival of the founding leaders of the Indian Independence
Marathis. Movement and was respected widely in the
Indian intellectual community.
Towards his goal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak
launched two newspapers called 'Mahratta' In 1884, after the completion of his
(English) and 'Kesari' (Marathi). Both the graduation in arts at the Elphinstone College,
newspaper stressed on making the Indians Bombay, Gokhale joined as professor of history
aware of the glorious past and empowered them and political economy at the Fergusson College,
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judge, scholar and above all social reformer. He to join his fellow countrymen in the freedom
regarded Mahadev Govinda Ranade as his struggle. He joined the youth wing of the
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"Guru". Ranade helped Gokhale in establishing Congress Party and soon rose up the party
the "Servants of India Society" in 1905. The main hierarchy by virtue of his eloquence and
objective of this society was to train Indians to leadership skills. At an early stage of his life
Subhash Bose accepted Deshbandhu Chittaranjan
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raise their voices and serve their country. Gokhale
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also worked with Ranade in a quarterly Journal, Das as his political guru.
called "Sarvajanik". The Journal wrote about the Over a span of 20 years, Bose was imprisoned
public questions of the day in frank and fearless eleven times by the British, the first one being
manner. in 1921. In 1924, after a brief period of
Gokhale was the secretary of the "Reception incarceration, Bose was exiled to Mandalay in
Burma. Subhash Bose was imprisoned again in
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Committee" of the 1895 Poona session of Indian
National Congress. From this session, Gokhale 1930 and deported to Europe. During his stay
became a prominent face of the Indian National in Europe from 1933 to 1936, Subhash Bose
Congress. For a while Gokhale was a member of zealously espoused the cause of Indian freedom
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was tabled and eventually transformed into law. the later part of his political career. Initially Bose
But unfortunately, the Reforms Act became law was a follower of the Gandhian way of freedom
in 1909 and it was disappointing to see that movement but years of travel in European
despite Gokhale's efforts, the people were not countries during exile and the ripening of mental
given a proper democratic system. However, faculties with age made him disenchanted with
Gokhale's efforts were clearly not in vain. the ways of the Indian National Congress.
Indians now had access to seats of the highest
authority within the government, and their Subhash Chandra's hatred for the British ran
voices were more audible in matters of public deep and he vehemently called for the immediate
interest. ouster of the colonial rulers from Indian soil.
Disappointed with the leniency shown by some
Gokhale, during his visit to South Africa in Congress leaders towards the British, Bose
1912, met Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, became increasingly convinced that the goal of
popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi. Gokhale achieving freedom would remain a pipedream
made him aware of the issues confronting as long as the British held sway over the land
common people back in India. In his and peaceful protests would never be able to
autobiography, Gandhi calls Gokhale his throw the British out.
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disobedience to protest against the Viceroy's and social change, England's Debt to India: India,
decision to declare war on India's behalf. Bose The Problems Of National Education In India
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was placed under house arrest. Taking were among the books, he had written.
advantage of the laxity of the house guards and
aided by his cousin Sishir Bose, Subhash On October 30, 1928, he died after the police
lathi-charged on the activists, protesting the
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managed to escape and traversing through
arrival of Simon Commission.
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enemy territories he reached Moscow. Bose tried
to garner the help Nazi Germany but due to the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
indifferent attitude of Hitler and other German
leaders he left for Japan and soon assumed the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was one of the
leadership of Indian National Army (INA) foremost leaders of Indian freedom struggle. He
founded by Rash Behari Bose. was also a renowned scholar, and poet.
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Bolstered by material assistance from the Imbued with the pan-Islamic spirit, he
Japanese forces, the INA attacked the British visited Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria and
forces in Manipur and Nagaland in northeastern Turkey. In Iraq he met the exiled revolutionaries
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India and hosted the National Flag in the town who were fighting to establish a constitutional
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in Moirang, in Manipur. But with the defeat of government in Iran. In Egypt, he met Shaikh
Japan, the invasion by the INA soon petered out Muhammad Abdullah and Saeed Pasha and
and Netaji was forced to retreat to Malaya. Netaji other revolutionary activists of the Arab world.
Subhash Chandra Bose allegedly died in a plane He had a first hand knowledge of the ideals and
crash over Taiwan, while flying to Tokyo on spirit of the young Turks in Constantinople. All
August 18, 1945. these contacts metamorphosed him into a
nationalist revolutionary.
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helped to establish the nationalistic Dayanand joined the revolutionary movement against
Anglo-Vedic School and became a follower of British rule. Azad found that the revolutionary
Dayanand Saraswati. In 1888 and 1889 he was activities were restricted to Bengal and Bihar.
a delegate to the annual sessions of the National Within two years, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Congress. In 1895, Rai helped found the Punjab helped set up secret revolutionary centers all over
National Bank, demonstrating his concern for north India and Bombay. During that time most
self-help and enterprise. In 1897, he founded the of his revolutionaries were anti-Muslim because
Hindu Orphan Relief Movement to keep the they felt that the British government was using
Christian missions from securing custody of these the Muslim community against India's freedom
children. In the National Congress in 1900, he struggle. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad tried to
stressed the importance of constructive, nation- convince his colleagues to shed their hostility
building activity and programs for self-reliance. towards Muslims.
In October 1917, he founded the Indian Home
In 1912, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad started
Rule League of America in New York.
a weekly journal in Urdu called Al-Hilal to
In 1920, after his return from America, Lajpat increase the revolutionary recruits amongst the
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banned this paper too and expelled Maulana alongwith the other volunteers and partisans of
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Abul Kalam Azad from Calcutta and internet the Indian National Congress. Initially Rajendra
him at Ranchi from where he was released after Prasad was not impressed with Gandhiji's
the First World War, 1920. appearance and conversation but deeply moved
by the dedication, conviction and courage of
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After his release, Azad roused the Muslim
Gandhi.
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community through the Khilafat Movement. The
aim of the movement was to re-instate the Khalifa
as the head of British captured Turkey. Maulana
Rajendra Prasad also responded to the call
of Mahatma Gandhi to boycott Western
Abul Kalam Azad supporded Non-Cooperation education. He asked his son Mrityunjaya Prasad,
Movement started by Gandhiji and entered Indian a brilliant student to leave the University and
National Congress in 1920. He was elected as the enroll himself in Bihar Vidyapeeth. He would
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president of the special session of the Congress in write articles for magazines like "Searchlight"
Delhi (1923). Maulana Azad was again arrested and "Desh". Nationalist India expressed its
in 1930 for violation of the salt laws as part of admiration by electing Rajendra Prasad as the
President of the Bombay session of the Indian
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Mahatma Gandhi organized the Non-
Cooperation Movement to protest and Naidu ter of police in the Ministry of Govind Vallabh
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was the first to join the movement. Besides, Panth in Uttar Pradesh. His recommendations
Sarojini Naidu also actively campaigned for the included the introduction of "water-jets" instead
Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, the Khilafat of sticks to disperse the unruly mob. Impressed
issue, the Sabarmati Pact, the Satyagraha Pledge with his efforts in reforming the state police de-
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and the Civil Disobedience Movement. partment, Jawaharlal Nehru, invited Shastri to
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In 1919, she went to England as a member
join the Union cabinet as a Minister for railways.
He was a responsible man and known for his
of the all-India Home Rule Deputation. In ethics and morality. In 1956, Lal Bahadur Shastri
January 1924, she was one of the two delegates resigned from his post, following a train acci-
of the Indian National Congress Party to attend dent that killed around 150 passengers near
the East African Indian Congress. In 1925, she
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Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu. Nehru, had once said,
was elected as the President of the Indian "No one could wish for a better comrade than
National Congress Party. Lal Bahadur, a man of the highest integrity and
Besides her role and sacrifices in the Indian devoted to ideas". In 1961, he became Minister
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Relations Conference in 1947 was highly- "Green Revolution". Apart from the Green
appraised. Two years later, on 02 March, 1949, Revolution, he was also instrumental in
Sarojini Naidu died at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. promoting the White Revolution. The National
Dairy Development Board was formed in 1965
Lal Bahadur Shastri
during Shastri as Prime Minister. The major
Lal Bahadur Shastri (2 October, 1904-11 cross-border-problems Shastri faced was caused
January, 1966) was the third Prime Minister of by Pakistan. It sent her forces across the eastern
the Republic of India and a leader of the Indian border into the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. Shastri
National Congress party. Shastri joined the showing his mettle, made it very clear that India
Indian independence movement in the 1920s. would not sit and watch. While granting liberty
Deeply impressed and influenced by Mahatma to the Security Forces to retaliate He said, "Force
Gandhi, he became a loyal follower, first of will be met with force".
Gandhi, and then of Jawaharlal Nehru.
The Indo-Pak war ended on 23 September,
In 1930, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the 1965 after the United Nations passed a resolution
secretary of the Congress party and later the demanding a ceasefire. The Russian Prime
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secretary.
Chandrashekhar Azad
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On 30 October, 1928, an all-parties
A contemporary of Bhagat Singh, procession, led by Lala Lajpat Rai, marched
Chandrasehkhar Azad too lived for a short span towards the Lahore railway station to protest
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but during the 25 years that he lived, Azad waged against the arrival of the Simon Commission.
a valiant battle against the British and inspired
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the youth of the nation with his heroics. charge at the activists. The confrontation left Lala
Chandrashekhar was deeply troubled by the Lajpat Rai with severe injuries and also led to
Jalianwalabagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919. his death. As an avenge to the death of Lala
Azad, at an age of 15, got involved in the Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh and his associates
revolutionary activities. He was caught by the plotted the assassination of Scott, the
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British police while participating in the non- Superintendent of Police, believed to have
cooperation movement and sentenced to ordered the lathi charge. The revolutionaries,
whiplashes as punishment. When the magistrate mistaking J.P. Saunders, an Assistant
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asked him his name, he said "Azad" Superintendent of Police, as Scott, killed him
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(independence). From that point onwards, instead. Bhagat Singh quickly left Lahore to
Chandrashekhar assumed the title of Azad and escape his arrest.
came to be known as Chandrashekhar Azad.
In response to the formulation of Defence of
Following the Chauri-Chaura incident, in India Act, the Hindustan Socialist Republican
which police stations were vandalized and burnt Association planned to explode a bomb inside
by the activists, Mahatma Gandhi called for the the assembly premises, where the ordinance was
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more attracted by the aggressive and violent 'Inquilab Zindabad!' The bomb was not meant
revolutionary ideals and means. Towards this to kill or injure anyone and therefore it was
end, they formed the Hindustan Socialist thrown away from the crowded place. Following
Republican Association and trained the the blasts both Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar
revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Dutt courted arrest.
Batukeshwar Dutt, and Rajguru. Azad was
Bhagat Singh alongwith other revolutionar-
instrumental in carrying out numerous acts of
ies found responsible for the Assembly bombing
violence. This includes the Kakori Train Robbery
and murder of Saunders. On March 23, 1931,
in 1926, assassination of John Poyantz Saunders
Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore with his
in 1928 at Lahore to avenge the killing of Lala
fellow comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev.
Lajpat Rai.
Annie Besant
On that fateful day of February 27, 1931,
surrounded by police in the Alfred Park, Annie Besant (1 October, 1847-20 September,
Allahabad and all escape routes sealed, Azad 1933) was a prominent British socialist,
fought and ultimately took his life with the last theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and
bullet of his pistol. orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self-
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World War I broke out in 1914, she helped speaking tours of Britain.
launch the Home Rule League to campaign for
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democracy in India and dominion status within Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
the Empire. This led to her election as president Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April, 1891-
of the India National Congress in late 1917. After 6 December, 1956), popularly known as
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the war, she continued to campaign for Indian
C IC Babasaheb, was an Indian lawyer, politician and
independence and for the causes of theosophy, academic who inspired the Dalit Buddhist
until her death in 1933. movement and campaigned against social
discrimination in India, striving for equal rights
Along with her theosophical activities,
for the Dalit. As independent India's first law
Besant continued to actively participate in
minister, he was principal architect of the
political matters. She had joined the Indian
Constitution of India.
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National Congress. As the name suggested, this
was originally a debating body, which met each Ambedkar opined that there should be
year to consider resolutions on political issues. separate electoral system for the Untouchables
Mostly it demanded more of a say for middle- and lower caste people. He also favored the
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slogan, Besant declared, "England's need is the Independent Labor Party. In the 1937,
India's opportunity". As editor of the New India elections to the Central Legislative Assembly his
newspaper, she attacked the colonial govern- party won 15 seats. Ambedkar oversaw the
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ment of India and called for clear and decisive transformation of his political party into the All
moves towards self-rule. As with Ireland, the India Scheduled Castes Federation, although it
government refused to discuss any changes while performed poorly in the elections held in 1946
the war lasted. for the Constituent Assembly of India. Ambedkar
was appointed on the Defence Advisory
In 1916, Besant launched the Home Rule Committee and the Viceroy's Executive Council
League along with Lokmanya Tilak, once again as Minister for Labor. His reputation as a scholar
modelling demands for India on Irish nationalist led to his appointment as free India's first, Law
practices. This was the first political party in India Minister and chairman of the committee
to have regime change as its main goal. Unlike responsible to draft a constitution.
the Congress itself, the League worked all year
round. It built a structure of local branches, Bhimrao Ambedkar was appointed as the
enabling it to mobilise demonstrations, public chairman of the constitution drafting committee.
meetings and agitations. In June 1917, Besant He was also a noted scholar and eminent jurist.
was arrested and interned at a hill station, where Ambedkar emphasized on the construction of a
she defiantly flew a red and green flag. The virtual bridge between the classes of the society.
Congress and the Muslim League together According to him, it would be difficult to
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published posthumously. Ambedkar was formed. Started as a small unit, the organization
posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna,
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soon grew is size as well as reach and is
India's highest civilian award, in 1990. operational till date.
Acharya Vinoba Bhave In 1906, that Sri Aurobindo joined the Indian
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Acharya Vinoba Bhave was a freedom Nationalist Movement in Calcutta. Working as
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fighter and a spiritual teacher. He is best known
as the founder of the 'Bhoodan Movement' (Gift
of the Land). The reformer had an intense
an editor in the newspaper 'Bande Mataram, he
brought forward the idea of independence from
British. Though Aurobindo was arrested three
concern for the deprived masses. Vinoba Bhave times, for sedition or treason, he did not let this
had once said, "All revolutions are spiritual at obstruct his vision for free India. He was also
the source. All my activities have the sole purpose one of the founders of the Jugantar party, an
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of achieving a union of hearts." In 1958, Vinoba underground revolutionary group. During a
was the first recipient of the international Ramon convention of Indian nationalists, held in the
Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. year 1907, Aurobindo was viewed as a new
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He was also conferred with the Bharat Ratna leader. However, though he had leadership
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(India's highest civilian awards) posthumously qualities, he preferred to work from the
in 1983. background. Apart from being a fundamental
person in India's independence movement, Sri
Bhoodan Movement
Aurobindo also exploited the spiritual disciplines
In 1951, Vinoba Bhave started his peace-trek of Yoga and meditation.
on foot through the violence-torn region of
Sri Aurobindo's spiritual mission commenced
Telangana. On April 18, 1951, the Harijans of
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India, was a Parsi intellectual, educator, cotton
Rabindranath Tagore trader, and an early Indian political and social
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leader. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) in
Rabindranath Tagore, the brilliant poet and the United Kingdom House of Commons
eminent educationist was born on 6th may, 1861 between 1892 and 1895, and the first Asian to
in Calcutta. At the time of his birth the country be a British MP.
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was passing through the revolutionary currents
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of religious, social, moral, political and literary
movements. In 1878, he went to London and
Naoroji is also credited with the founding of
the Indian National Congress, alongwith A.O.
studied law for two years, but returned to India Hume and Dinshaw Edulji Wacha. His book
without a degree. On the way over to England Poverty and Un-British Rule in India brought
he began translating, for the first time, his latest attention to the draining of India's wealth into
selections of poems, Gitanjali, into English. Britain. He was also member of Second
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International alongwith Kautsky and Plekhanov.
According to him the prevailing schooling Dadabhai Naoroji is regarded as one of the most
system is defective and cannot favourable important Indians during the independence
influence on his life. So he founded an
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awarded with the prestigious Nobel Prize for his policies for economic ills in his book “Economic
great literary work "Gitanjali". He was the first History of India”. Drain of wealth refers to the
non-westerner to be so honored. Overnight he portion of national product of India, which was
was famous and began world lecture tours not available for consumption of Indians. Drain
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promoting inter-cultural harmony and of wealth began in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey
understanding. In 1915, he was knighted by the when the Company’s servants began to extort
British King George V. In 1919, following the fortunes from Indian rulers, zamindars,
Amritsar massacre of 400 Indian demonstrators merchants and common people and send home.
by British troops, Sir Tagore renounced his In 1765, the Company acquired the Diwani of
Knighthood. Although a good friend of Bengal and began to purchase the Indian goods
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, most of the out of the revenue of Bengal and exported them.
time Tagore stayed out of politics. He was These purchases were known as Company’s
opposed to nationalism and militarism as a investments. Duty free inland trade provided
matter of principle, and instead promoted British merchants a competitive edge over their
spiritual values and the creation of a new world Indian counterparts. The actual drain, as a part
culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity of the salaries and other incomes of the English
and tolerance. officials and the trading fortunes of English
merchants, was even more. The drain of wealth
Although Tagore is a superb representative stunted the growth of Indian enterprise and
of his country - India - the man who wrote its checked and retarded capital formation in India.
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They were opposed by leaders such as Tilak and witnessed the repeated failure of revolts against
Lala Lajpat Rai, who sought quick action
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the British Raj, he decided that social activism
towards freedom. Jinnah served as leader of the and reform would be more beneficial for the
All-India Muslim League from 1913 until and Pashtuns. This led to the formation of Anjuman-
as Pakistan's first Governor-General from e Islah al-Afghan ("Afghan Reform Society") in
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independence until his death. 1921, and the youth movement Pashtun Jirga
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Born in Karachi and trained as a barrister at
Lincoln's Inn in London, Jinnah rose to
prominence in the Indian National Congress in
("Pashtun Assembly") in 1927. After he returned
from the Hajj in May 1928, he founded the
Pashto language monthly political journal
the first two decades of the 20th century. In these Pashtun. Finally, in November 1929, Khan
early years of his political career, Jinnah founded the Khudai Khidmatgar ("Servants of
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advocated Hindu–Muslim unity, helping to God") movement, whose success triggered a
shape the 1916 Lucknow Pact between the harsh crackdown by the British Empire against
Congress and the All-India Muslim League, a him and his supporters and they suffered some
party in which Jinnah had also become of the most severe repression of the Indian
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prominent. Jinnah became a key leader in the independence movement. In 1962, he was
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All India Home Rule League, and proposed a named the Amnesty International Prisoner of
fourteen-point constitutional reform plan to Conscience of the Year. In 1987, he became the
safeguard the political rights of Muslims from a first non-Indian to be awarded Bharat Ratna,
united British India to become independent. In India's highest civilian award. Khan is a Pashtun
1920, however, Jinnah resigned from the national hero and a key figure of Pashtun
Congress when it agreed to follow a campaign nationalism.
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Indian Muslims should have their own state. In "Pashtunistan" administrative unit within the
that year, the Muslim League, led by Jinnah, country.
passed the Lahore Resolution, demanding a Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
separate nation. During the Second World War,
the League gained strength while leaders of the Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (28 May, 1883-
Congress were imprisoned, and in the elections 26 February, 1966) was an Indian pro-
held shortly after the war, it won most of the independence activist, politician as well as a
seats reserved for Muslims. Ultimately, the poet, writer and playwright. He advocated
Congress and the Muslim League could not reach dismantling the system of caste in Hindu culture,
a power-sharing formula for a united India, and reconversion of the converted Hindus back
leading all parties to agree to separate to Hindu religion. Savarkar created the term
independence for a secular India, and for a Hindutva, and emphasised its distinctiveness
Muslim-majority state, to be called Pakistan. from Hinduism which he associated with social
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and political communalism. The stated aim of
Savarkar's Hindutva was to create a divisive
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (6 February, 1890 collective identity. The five elements of his
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Bharat Society and the Free India Society, as well
as publications espousing the cause of complete He also served as Minister for Home Affairs
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Indian independence by revolutionary means. of the Indian Union and Chief Minister of Madras
Savarkar published The Indian War of state. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra
Independence about the Indian rebellion of 1857 Party and was one of the first recipients of India's
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that was banned by British authorities. He was
C IC highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. He
arrested in 1910 for his connections with the vehemently opposed the use of nuclear weapons
revolutionary group India House. Following a and was a proponent of world peace and
failed attempt to escape while being transported disarmament.
from Marseilles, Savarkar was sentenced to two
life terms of imprisonment totalling fifty years Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
and was moved to the Cellular Jail in the Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861–1946)
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Andaman and Nicobar Islands. was an Indian educationist and politician notable
While in jail, Savarkar wrote the work for his role in the Indian independence
describing Hindutva, openly espousing Hindu movement and his espousal of Hindu
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nationalism. He was released in 1921 under nationalism (being one of the initial leaders of
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restrictions after signing a plea for clemency in the far-right party Hindu Mahasabha). Later in
which he renounced revolutionary activities. life, he was also addressed as 'Mahamana'.
Travelling widely, Savarkar became a forceful He was the President of the Indian National
orator and writer, advocating Hindu political Congress on four occasions and is most
and social unity. Serving as the president of the
remembered as the founder of the largest
Hindu Mahasabha, Savarkar endorsed the ideal
residential university in Asia and one of the
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• Joined Indian National Congress and During his seven years as a judge in Bombay,
established Congress Socialist Party, 1934. Ranade worked for social reform in the areas of
child marriage, widow remarriage, and women’s
• He was elected the Secretary of All India
rights. After his appointment as instructor of
Congress Committee (1936).
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history at Elphinstone College, Bombay (1866),
• He was arrested on 7th June, 1940 and he became interested in the history of the
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sentenced to two years imprisonment for Marathas, a militaristic Hindu ethnic group that
writing an article 'Satyagraha Now' in established the independent kingdom of
Gandhiji's newspaper Harijan. Maharashtra (1674–1818). The publication of his
Rise of the Maratha Power followed in 1900.
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• He published and circulated posters and
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pamphlets on 'Do or Die' during the 'Quit
India Movement', 1942. He alongwith
Aruna Asaf Ali edited a Congress Party
Ranade has been called the father of Indian
economics for urging (unsuccessfully) the British
government to initiate industrialization and state
monthly newspaper called 'Inquilab'. welfare programs. He was an early member of
the Prarthana Samaj (“Prayer Society”), which
“Post-independence period’’: sought to reform the social customs of orthodox
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• Lohia took the leadership of building a dam Hinduism. He regularly voiced views on social
on river Paniyari called 'Lohia Sagar Dam'. and economic reform at the annual sessions of
• Founded 'Hind Kisan Panchayat' to provide the Indian National Social Conference, which
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Mayor; awarded the Lenin Prize for peace in June 1925) was a politician and leader of the
1975 and the Jawaharlal Nehru award for Swaraj (Independence) Party in Bengal under
International understanding for 1991; honored British rule. He was a leading figure in Bengal
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with Bharat Ratna in 1998. Her moment of during the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1919-
reckoning came in 1942 during Quit India 1922, and initiated the ban on British clothes,
Movement and she rose to the occasion. setting an example by burning his own European
clothes and wearing Khadi clothes.
As Asaf Ali was deeply involved with
freedom struggle, after marriage Aruna Asaf Ali He brought out a newspaper called Forward
too plunged into it. Her first major political action and later changed its name to Liberty to fight
was during the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 when the British Raj. When the Calcutta Corporation
she addressed public meetings and led was formed, he became its first Mayor. He
processions. In 1942, she attended the Bombay resigned his presidency of the Indian National
Congress Session, where the historic Quit India Congress at the Gaya session after losing a motion
resolution was passed on 8th August. When the on "No Council Entry" to Gandhi's faction. He
Congress leaders were arrested on the day after then founded the Swaraj Party, with veteran
this resolution was passed, Aruna presided over Motilal Nehru and young Huseyn Shaheed
the flag-hoisting ceremony at Gowalia Tank Suhrawardy, to express his immoderate opinions.
Maidan in Bombay. She provided the spark that
ignited the movement. She became a full-time He was a believer of non-violence and
activist in the Quit India movement. constitutional methods for the realisation of
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October, 1979), popularly referred to as JP or Lok
In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the
Nayak, was an Indian independence activist,
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Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in
social reformer and political leader, remembered recognition of his social work. Other awards
especially for leading the mid-1970s opposition include the Magsaysay award for Public Service
against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. in 1965.
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