India Independence Day 2024: India is all set to celebrate the glory of freedom fighters and all the brave hearts who contributed towards the independence of the country. And on the eve of the 78th Independence Day of India, we have taken the responsibility to burst all your bubbles around the freedom of struggle. This special article will give you answers about the What, When, Why, Where and How of I-Day.
Ques. What was the significance of the Salt March in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. Salt March marked the beginning of Mahatma Gandhi's campaign of civil disobedience (satyagraha) on a wider level. This protest against British rule in India lasted through the start of 1931 and won him great public support in India as well as significant worldwide coverage.
Ques. What were the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. The non-cooperation movement started on 1 August 1920. It sought self-rule or swaraj by pressing the British government to grant them dominion status. On the other hand, the Civil Disobedience began on 12th March 1930. The objective of this movement was to advance from swaraj to total independence from foreign authority.
Ques. What was the significance of the Quit India Movement in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. Mahatma Gandhi started the Quit India Movement, which called for the end of British rule in India, on August 9, 1942. The Quit India Movement marked a turning point in the history of the country and was essential in India's fight for independence. It was the catalyst for widespread defiance of British authority, including acts of deviance and non-cooperation.
Ques. What role did Bhagat Singh play in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. Bhagat Singh was a freedom fighter who inspired and motivated others to contribute to the freedom struggle. He was a strident opponent of British authority in India and took part in two well-publicized assaults on British officials, one on a local police head and the other on Delhi's Central Legislative Assembly.
Ques. What was the importance of the Rowlatt Act in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. The "Rowlatt Act," was introduced in 1919. This act by the British Colonial Government gave the police the authority to detain anyone for any cause. The Act's main goal was to contain the nation's rising nationalist tide. Mahatma Gandhi urged the populace to stage a satyagraha in opposition to the tyrant policy.
Ques. Why did Mahatma Gandhi emphasize nonviolent resistance in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. Mahatma Gandhi aimed to end the cycle of violence by encouraging nonviolent ways of protest as he believed that violence only leads to greater violence. He, therefore, had a strong belief in the ability of peaceful resistance to effect social and political change. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, "Nonviolent resistance... avoids not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. The nonviolent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent, but he also refuses to hate him."
Ques. Why did the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre have a profound impact on the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. In 1919, India saw the tragedy of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The Rowlatt Act faced strong opposition, and protests spread throughout the nation. And in response to the protest, British authorities open fire on a Baisakhi gathering at Jallianwala Bagh. Many moderate Indians who had previously supported the British lost their devotion and turned against British authority, becoming nationalists.
Ques. Why was the partition of India into India and Pakistan a significant outcome of the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. On August 15, 1947, the announcement of India's partition was made as a result of the British government's eagerness to leave India and support the demand for Pakistan. The idea that Hindus and Muslims couldn't live together in one country drove the push for Pakistan.
This resulted in the development of Muslim majorities in West and East Pakistan and Hindu majorities in India. The subsequent instability and violence during the partition resulted in the deaths of between 500,000 and 2 million individuals.
Ques. Why did the Indian National Congress play a crucial role in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. During the freedom struggle, the Indian National Congress played a key role in the beginning of numerous notable occasions and activities, including the Quit India Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement, and the Mahatma Gandhi-led Dandi Salt March. The anti-colonial nationalist movements in the British Empire were greatly influenced by Congress, which is thought to have both led India to independence from the United Kingdom and played a major role in those movements.
Ques. When did the Indian National Congress hold its first session leading to political activism in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. The Indian National Congress conducted its first session in Bombay from 28 to 31 December 1885 at the initiative of retired Civil Service officer Allan Octavian Hume, known for his pro-Indian activities. Some prominent delegates included Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee, Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta W. C. Bonnerjee, S. Ramaswami Mudaliar, and the others led by the first President of the Indian National Congress W.C. Banerjee. Some of the major proceedings of the session included the appointment of the commission, abolishment of the Indian council in London, creation of the legislative councils, reduction of military expenditure, and civil services reform.
Ques. When did the Indian National Congress adopt the resolution for complete independence?
Ans. The historic "Purna Swaraj" (complete independence) resolution was adopted by the Indian National Congress on December 19, 1929, during its Lahore session. On January 26, 1930, a formal proclamation was published, which the Congress Party urged Indians to observe as Independence Day.
Ques. When did India gain its independence from British rule, marking a momentous milestone in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. India gained freedom from colonial rule on August 15, 1947. It commemorates the day in 1947 when the Indian Independence Act took effect, separating Pakistan and India from British imperialism and establishing them as independent nations.
Ques. When did Mahatma Gandhi return to India from South Africa and become a prominent leader in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba returned to India on January 9, 1915, after spending more than 21 years there. He had visited London the year before for treatment of a severe case of pleurisy, an inflammation of the lungs. To avoid the English winter, his doctors recommended settling back in India.
But after his return, he became the symbol of the Indian Freedom Movement. He toured the entire nation to get a better understanding of the populace and joined the neighbourhood of Satyagrahas. In 1917, he organized the first Satyagraha in Champaran, Bihar, where he supported the cause of the indigo farmers. In 1918, he engaged in his second Satyagraha, helping Gujarat's Kheda district peasants who were having a hard time paying their taxes to the British authorities.
Ques. When did the Simon Commission arrive in India?
Ans. In 1928, the Indian Statutory Commission often referred to as the Simon Commission after its head Sir John Allsebrook Simon was deployed to India to research potential constitutional reform. The commission was boycotted by Indians because there was no Indian representative on the commission.
Ques. Where did Mahatma Gandhi organize the famous Dandi March against the British salt monopoly?
Ans. Early in 1930, Gandhi made the decision to stage a highly visible protest against the salt tax by marching from his ashram at Sabarmati, near Ahmedabad to the town of Dandi in Surat on the Arabian Sea coast through what is now the state of Gujarat in western India.
Ques. Where did Subhas Chandra Bose establish the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army)?
Azad Hind Fauj was established by Indian nationalists in exile during the latter part the before the end of World War II in Singapore with monetary, military and political assistance from Imperial Japan. It was first established by Mohan Singh in 1942 and was later revived by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on October 21, 1943. The army was formed to ensure India's complete independence from the British Raj.
Ques. Where did Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi mark her revolt against British forces?
Ans. Lakshmi Bai was named the regent of Jhansi and ruled on behalf of the minor heir shortly after the 1857 revolt that started in Meerut got underway. She quickly recruited her men, joined the revolt against the British, and took command of the insurgents in the Bundelkhand region.
Ques. Where was the Cellular Jail located, which held numerous freedom fighters as prisoners and became a symbol of British repression?
Ans. The Cellular Jail, commonly referred to as Kala Pani was an Andaman and Nicobar Islands colonial jail built by the British. The prison was used by the colonial government of India to send political prisoners and criminals to prison. The list of prisoners includes some famous inmates like Diwan Singh Kalapani, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, Yogendra Shukla, Batukeshwar Dutt, Maulana Ahmadullah, Move Abdul Rahim Sadiqpuri, Maulvi Liaquat Ali, Babarao Savarkar, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Bhai Parmanand, Shadan Chandra Chatterjee, Sohan Singh and many others.
Ques. Where did the First War of Independence, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny happened?
Ans. Indian Mutiny, also called the Sepoy Mutiny or First War of Independence happened between 1857–59. It was widespread but an unsuccessful rebellion against British rule in India. The revolt began in Meerut by Indian troops (sepoys) in the service of the British East India Company and later spread to Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
Ques. How did the Indian National Congress use civil disobedience as a strategy?
Ans. Civil disobedience was the key strategy used by INC to overturn unfair laws, undermine British rule, and bring the Indian people together through nonviolent protests, boycotts, and noncooperation. Major movements like civil disobedience and non-cooperation were also one of the methods to raise awareness and garner support from abroad to fight for independence.
Ques. How did the Rowlatt Act of 1919 become a significant catalyst in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. The Rowlatt Act of 1919 gave the Imperial Legislative Council the power to arrest without any notice. It brought attention to how oppressive British rule was in India and encouraged calls for Indian self-rule and more Indian representation in the political system. The act had a significant impact on Gandhi and other Indian leaders' nonviolent resistance campaigns as well.
Ques. How did the role of women evolve in the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. Bhima Bai Holkar's battle with the British in 1817 marked the beginning of women's involvement in India's freedom war. By removing gender barriers and engaging in activities that were previously thought to be the preserve of men, women liberation fighters questioned established social conventions. They participated in processions, protests, and other forms of civil disobedience in defiance of patriarchal norms.
Ques. How did communal tensions and the demand for separate electorates impact the dynamics of the Indian Freedom Struggle?
Ans. Separate electorates were created because Hindus and Muslims made up two distinct social groups in India. Homes, businesses, and places of worship were destroyed as a result of communal violence. This damage caused significant economic losses that had an impact on both the individual and community livelihoods. And later, led to the partition of India.
Happy Independence Day 2024!
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