Question

Discuss few important peasant movements in India between 1920 and 1937. Also discuss how it was different from the peasant movement of the 19th century

Answer 1

Peasant movement in India was arose during the British colonial period, when economic policies characterized in the ruin of traditional handicrafts leading, change of ownership and overcrowding of land, and massive debt and impoverishment of peasantry.This led to peasant uprisings during the colonial period.

Important peasant movements in India between 1920 and 1937 were The Kisan Sabha and Eka movements in Avadh in U.P., the Mappila rebellion in Malabar and the Bardoli Satyagraha in Gujarat.

Description of these peasant movements:

1. The Kisan Sabha Movement : The movement was started in The United Provinces.The majority of the cultivators were subjected to high rents, summary evictions (bedakhali), illegal levies, renewal fees or nazrana.The United Provinces Kisan Sabha was set up in February 1918 by Gauri Shankar Mishra and Indra Narayan Dwivedi.The Awadh Kisan Sabha asked the kisans to refuse to till bedakhali land, not to offer hari and begar (forms of unpaid labour), to boycott those who did not accept these conditions and to solve their disputes through panchayats.
2. Eka Movement : The meetings of the Eka or the Unity Movement involved a symbolic religious ritual in which the assembled peasants vowed that they would :

• pay only the recorded rent but would pay it on time;
• not leave when evicted;
• refuse to do forced labour;
• give no help to criminals;
• abide by panchayat decisions.

By March 1922, severe repression by authorities brought the movement to an end.

3.Mappila Revolt : The Mappilas were the Muslim tenants inhabiting the Malabar region where most of the landlords were Hindus.Their grievances centred around lack of security of tenure, high rents, renewal fees and other oppressive exactions.Initially the movement was against the British Authority, but due to help by Hindus to british authority movement was converted into communal one. The communalisation of the rebellion completed the isolation of the Mappilas from the Khilafat-Non- Cooperation Movement. By December 1921, all resistance had come to a stop.

4.Bardoli Satyagraha : The movement sparked off in January 1926 when the authorities decided to increase the land revenue by 30 per cent. The Congress leaders were quick to protest and a Bardoli Inquiry Committee was set up to go into the issue. The committee found the revenue hike to be unjustified. Under Patel, the Bardoli peasants resolved to refuse payments of the revised assessment until the Government appointed an independent tribunal or accepted the current amount as full payment. Due to massive tension in the area,a committee was formed to look into the whole affair and found the revenue hike to be unjustified and recommended a rise of 6.03 per cent only.

Difference of Peasant movement of 1920s to the movement of the 19th century:

• Peasant discontent against established authority was a familiar feature of the nineteenth century but Peasant movement of the 1920s had one more important feature that they were greatly influenced by ongoing struggle for national freedom. As for example Bardoli Satyagraha and Mappila Revolt were greatly influenced by national freedom struggle movement.
• Peasant movement of the 19th century lack organisational structure to strengthen their demand but peasant movements of 1920s had better organisational structure to strengthen their demand
• With the coming of Gandhi peasants were included in the fight against the unjust rule.The use of satyagrah gave the uprisings a non violent colour.which was later extended to national struggle.
• The peasants were also stirring to feelings of class consciousness generated by communist. Formation of various kisan sabha in north india is an example.
• There was still a group that mainly targeted opposing the high rents,but a major section came in to join the non- cooperation movement and integrated with national movement.

Conclusion:
It can be concluded that peasants uprisings were mainly against the oppression of the Raj in the 19th century and later with the coming of Gandhi on the stage of national struggle the peasants got connected with the movements of freedom but never gave away the fight against oppressive policies of British Raj.