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Which one among the following statements about the Swadeshi and Revolutionary movements in Bengal is not correct ?
Explanation
The Swadeshi and Revolutionary movements in Bengal significantly advanced Indian nationalism [5] and provided a major stimulus to indigenous industries, such as the Tata Iron and Steel Company, as part of the economic self-reliance drive. It also fostered a surge in vernacular and revolutionary literature, including works like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's 'Anandmath' and Rabindranath Tagore's patriotic compositions [2]. However, statement 3 is incorrect because the Government of East Bengal and Assam, led by Bampfylde Fuller, was notoriously repressive rather than sympathetic toward revolutionaries. The administration employed 'divisive tactics' and 'suppressive measures,' including corporal punishment for students, bans on public singing of 'Vande Mataram,' and the prosecution of swadeshi workers to crush the movement [4]. The government's stance was characterized by the 'divide and rule' policy, which aimed to weaken the nationalist nerve center in Bengal [3].
Sources
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement > p. 280
- [5] https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/module/Swadeshi/Swadeshi_For_Self-Reliant_India_Secondary_Stage.pdf
- [2] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > 2.5 Revolutionary Extremism > p. 22
- [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > The Movement under Extremist Leadership > p. 264
- [3] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > Learning Objectives > p. 16