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What was the reason for Mahatma Gandhi to organize a satyagraha on behalf of the peasants of Kheda ? 1. The Administration did not suspend the land revenue collection in spite of a drought. 2. The Administration proposed to introduce Permanent Settlement in Gujarat. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?
Explanation
The Kheda Satyagraha of 1918 was organized by Mahatma Gandhi to support peasants facing severe economic distress. Due to widespread drought and crop failure, the yield in Kheda was less than one-fourth of the normal produce [1]. According to the Revenue Code, such conditions entitled farmers to a remission or suspension of land revenue [1]. However, the British administration remained adamant, refusing to suspend collection and threatening to seize the property of those who did not pay [2]. Gandhi and Sardar Patel led the non-violent tax revolt, demanding that revenue collection be relaxed given the famine and plague epidemic [4]. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Permanent Settlement was a system primarily associated with Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha; there was no proposal to introduce it in Gujarat during this period.
Sources
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Kheda Satyagraha (1918)—First Non-Cooperation > p. 318
- [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Kheda Satyagraha (1918)—First Non-Cooperation > p. 319
- [3] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
- [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kheda_Satyagraha_of_1918