Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Partition of Bengal in 1905

Partition of Bengal

In 1905 the partition of Bengal was announced and the Indian national movement entered its second stage. Lord Curzon issued an order dividing the province of Bengal into two parts: Eastern Bengal and Assam with a population of 31 million, and the rest of Bengal with a population of 54 million, of whom 18 million were Bengalis and 36 million Biharis and Oriyas. It was said that the existing province of Bengal was too big to be administered by a single provincial government. But the British had other political ends in view. They hoped to stem the rising tide of nationalism in Bengal, considered at the time to be the nerve centre of Indian nationalism.

The Indian nationalists saw the act of partition as a challenge to Indian nationalism and not merely an administrative measure. They saw it was a deliberate attempt to divide the Bengalis territorially and on religious grounds and thus to disturb and weaken nationalism in Bengal. In the Eastern part Muslims would be in a big majority and in the Western part Hindus. It would also be a big blow to the growth of Bengali language and culture. They pointed out that administrative efficiency could have been better secured by separating the Hindi-speaking Bihar and the Oriya-speaking Orissa from the Bengali speaking part of the province.

The Anti-Partition Movement

Its most prominent leaders at the initial stage were moderate nationalists like Surendranath Banerjea and Krishna Kumar Mithra. The militant and revolutionary nationalists took over the leadership in the later stages. Both the moderate and militant nationalists cooperated with one another during the course of the movement.

The anti- Partition movement was started on 7 August 1905. On that day a massive demonstration against the partition was organized in Calcutta. The partition took effect on 16 October 1905. The leaders declared it to be a day of national mourning. It was observed as a day of fasting. There was a hartal in Calcutta. Rabindranath Tagore composed the song, Amar Sonar Bangla, for the occasion which was sung by huge crowds parading the streets. The streets of Calcutta were full of the cries of Bande Mataram. The ceremony of Raksha Bandhan was utilized in a new way. Hindus and Muslims tied the rakhi in one another’s wrists as a symbol of the unbreakable unity of the two halves of Bengal. The Indian newspapers like Amrita Bazar Ptrika, Sanjivani, Hitavadi, Vasumati, etc. also protested against the partition of Bengal.
The Swadeshi and Boycott

The Bengal leaders felt that mere demonstrations, public meetings and resolutions were not likely to have much effect on the British. They started the Swadeshi and Boycott movements. Mass meetings were held all over Bengal where Swadeshi or use of Indian goods and the boycott of British goods were proclaimed. In many places burning of foreign cloth were organized and shops selling foreign cloth were picketed. The Swadeshi movement was an immense success.

An important aspect of the Swadeshi movement was the emphasis placed on self-reliance or Atmasakti. In the economic field it meant fostering indigenous industrial and other enterprises. The movement had several consequences in the realm of culture. There was flowering of nationalist poetry, prose and journalism. National educational institutions were established by nationalists who regarded the existing system of education as denationalizing and inadequate.

A prominent part in the Swadeshi agitation was played by the students of Bengal. They practiced and propagated Swadeshi and took the lead in organizing picketing of shops selling foreign cloth. Disciplinary action was taken against students found guilty of participating in the nationalist agitation. The students, however, refused to be cowed down.

A remarkable aspect of the Swadeshi agitation was the active participation of women in the movement. They joined in processions and picketing.

The movement was suppressed by the British through repressive measures in 1908. But at last the movement achieved its objective and the partition of Bengal was revoked in 1911 by Lord Hardinge. Mahatma Gandhi wrote that the real awakening of India took place after the partition of Bengal. The anti-partition movement awakened the political consciousness of Indians at large and imparted a new and definite shape to the spirit of natuionalism.

All-India Aspect of the Movement

The anti-Partition movement spread to other provinces of India. Movements in support of Bengal’s unity and boycott of foreign goods were organized in Bombay, Madras and northern India. The leading role in spreading the Swadeshi movement to the rest of the country was played by Tilak. Here was challenge and an opportunity to lead a popular struggle against the British Raj and to unite the entire country in one bound of common sympathy.

Reference
Bipan Chandra : India's Struggle for Independence
Bipan Chandra edtd : Freedom Struggle
Sumit Sarkar : Modern India
Trara Chand : Freedom Struggle
NCERT Text Book
SCERT Text Book Kerala

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