Demand for Swaraj
Author(s): Sharmila Poonia
Abstract: The transformation of National Movement from a mere reform movement to the 'Demand for Swaraj' is due to the rise of Indian Nationalism in its various forms i e political, social, religious, economic, cultural and some others. Actually, the Indians experienced a qualitative structural transformation during the British Rule, which led them to a new and different path of development. The British Rule initiated some of the basic changes in India, though to sub serve its own interest and promote British Capitalism. "However it should not be for-gotten", as Marx Pithily pointed out, "that British Rule, though indeed for its selfish interest, unconsciously inaugurated a qualitative structural transformation which hitched the Indian society to a new path". Thus it generated new currents in the socio-politico economic processes and inagurated and established different criteria of sovereignty, different norms for governance and administrative bureaucratic set up of British Rule.
Although the dawn of the National Movement is traced back to 1885 when Indian National Congress was founded, it acquired national character immediately after the birth of Swadeshi Movement only. It was the repercussion of this movement on Indian politics that gave rise to the Neo-nationalist Party under Tilak, Aurbindo, Lajpat, Khaparde and other leaders and radically changed the conception of political goal and the method to achieve it, upheld by the Indian National Congress since its inception in 1885. In doing so, it brought about a great upheaval of nationalist sentiment all over India. This newly born nationalism expressed itself first in the Home Rule Movement of Tilak and Besant and then in the Non-co-operation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi. It will thus be seen that the Swadeshi movement may be compared to a tiny brook, which gradually widened itself by receiving effluents and tributaries and became a mighty torrent of nationalism before it merged itself into the broad stream of India's National Struggle for Complete Independence.
DOI: 10.22271/27069109.2025.v7.i12a.585Pages: 27-31 | Views: 245 | Downloads: 144Download Full Article: Click Here
