Swadeshi Movements

The Background  

Despite all protests, the partition of Bengal came into effect on 16 October 1905. A general strike was declared on this day in Calcutta. Thousands of people marched on the streets of Calcutta signing Vande Matram and people tied rakhi to the wrists of each other. Ananda Mohan Bose and Surendra Nath Banerjee addressed a huge gathering at Federation Hall in Calcutta and a collection of about 50000 rupees was made to organize a movement against the partition and for the cause of the unity of the people of Bengal.

Swadeshi Movement Launched  

Next year in the Calcutta Congress under the leadership of Dadabhai Naoroji the resolution for the Swadeshi Movement was passed in favour of boycott of the foreign goods, use of swadeshi goods and national education.

Leaders like Tilak, Lajpat Rai etc. belonging to the radical Congress group took this movement to all parts of India.  Tilak organised Boycott Movement in Bombay and Poona, Lajpat in Punjab and many other leaders throughout the country. At several places throughout the country, people burnt British goods and picketed the shops that sold these foreign made goods.

The Swadeshi Movement also increased the production of home-made goods. People spontaneously stopped using foreign goods such as clothes and sugar. A social boycott of the person purchasing foreign articles was started along with renunciation of English speech, resignation form Councils and government seats. Almost all sections of the society supported the move. There were bonfires of foreign goods.

Several societies and samitis were formed during the period that played an important role in spreading the boycott and swadeshi movement. The boycott of foreign goods also suited the interest of the local producers. Indigenous textile industry was revived. Several enterprises such as soap and match factories, banks and insurance companies opened during this period. Growth of regional medium educational institutions happened, so was the establishment of regional press.

The students became actively engaged in the movement, with women also joining along with peasants and common people from all walks of life.

Government Measures  

The British government resorted to severe repressive measures like brutal attacks on people participating in the movement; arrest and deportation of Tilak, Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh; banning of Bande Mataram; gagging of the Press and passing several laws against the movement.

The biggest impact of this movement was the annulment of the partition of Bengal that the British had to decide in 1911. Bihar, Orissa and Assam were taken out from the province of Bengal and the capital of the British India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.