Peasant Organisations and Peasant Movements
"The prosperity of a country is determined by how his subjects (peasants) are thriving"
UP Kisan Sabha (1918)
- It was the 1st modern peasant organisation established in 1918.
- It was led by the leaders like Gauri Shankar Mishra, Indira Narayan Dwivedi and Madan Mohan Malviya.
- This organisation wanted to highlight the grievances of the peasants in Constitutional manners.
- After the launch of Non-Cooperation Movement, some of its leaders wanted to support the Non-Cooperation Movement. As such it led to the creation of Awadh Kisan Sabha in 1920 which supported Non-Cooperation Movement.
- The leaders of Awadh Kisan Sabha includes Gauri Shankar Mishra, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Baba Ramchandra, Kedarnath Pandey and Mata Badal Pandey.
Eka Movement
- During the period of Non-Cooperation Movement, peasants mobilisation was very active in some districts of UP like Hardvi, Bahraich and Sitapur.
- Eka Movement was initiated by a local leader Madari Pasi.
- This movement was against the high rate of rent extracted by the Britishers and intermediateries.
- People from all the sections of the society participated and they took resolve not to pay the illegal amount.
Moplah Rebellion/Mappila Revolt (1921)
- It took place in 1921 in the Malabar Area of Kerala.
- The Muslim peasants (known as Moplas) were highly disaffected by the heavy rent collected by the British authority through the Hindu Zamindars known as Poligars.
- When Moplas refused illegal rent payment, British arrested their priest and leader Ali Musaliar.
- A rumor spread all across the Malabar that not only Musaliar has been arrested but also the famous mosque of Mumbrat has been destroyed.
- Moplas organised rebellion under Kun Hamad Hazi and started to attack on Hindu Poligars.
- The Moplah Rebellion which started as an agrarian crises took communal overtone in the later phase of the movement.
All India Kisan Sabha (1936)
- In 1936, All India Kisan Sabha was created by N.G. Ranga and Swami Sahjanand Saraswati.
- It was founded in Lucknow in April 1936.
- President of the Sabha - Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
- General Secretary - NG Ranga
Revolt of Karuna Sindhu Rai
- In 1935, in Surma Valley of Assam, Karuna Sindhu Rai organised a peasant movement.
Utkal Kisan Sabha (1935)
- In 1935 only Utkal Kisan Sangh organised a peasant movement under Malti Chaudhary.
Baksht Movement (1946)
- In 1946, Baksht Movement started in Bihar under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, Karyanandan Sharma and Rahul Sanskritayana.
- Baksht Land was those land whose occupancy tenants had lost to Zamindars mostly during the depression year by the virtue of non-payment of rent.
Tebhaga Movement
- It started in Bengal where peasants refused to pay the illegal amount imposed by the Britishers.
- They maintained that they will only pay one-third (⅓) of the amount.
- It was the most orgainsed and successful movement against the British before independence.
Other Peasant Revolts and Organisations
- Pabna Agrarian League
- Place - Eastern Bengal
- Time period - 1870s and 1880s
- Peasants of Eastern Bengal (Yusufshahi Pargana in Patna district) formed an agrarian league to resist the oppression and forceful eviction by the Zamindars.
- The league orgainsed a rent strike. They collected fund and the court case.
- This led to the passing of Bengal Tenancy Act in 1885 whereby many peasants were able to acquire occupancy right.
- A number of young intellectuals also supported the peasants cause. They included Bankim Chandra Chaterjee, R.C. Dutta and Indian Association under Surendra Nath Banerjee.
- Deccan Riots
- Place - Deccan region (Poona, Ahmednagar, Sholapur, Satara, etc)
- Time period - 1870s
- They revolted due to worsened condition caused due to the crash of cotton prices (due to American Civil War in 1864) followed by raise in land revenue by 50% in 1867 and a succession of bad harvest.
- They orgainsed a social boycott movement against the moneylenders, zamindars and outsiders.
- They attacked moneylenders' houses and shops; burnt the debt bond and deeds were seized and publicly burnt.
- The government succeeded in repressing the movement but as a conciliatory measure, the Deccan Agriculturists Relief Act was passed in 1879.
- This was also supported by the modern nationalist intelligentsia of Maharashtra.
- Bardoli Satyagraha (1928)
- Place - Gujarat (Surat district)
- Time period - 1926 to 1928
- The movement sparked off when the authorities decided to increase the land revenue by 30%.
- The Congress leaders were quick in protest and a Bardoli inquiry committee was set up to go into the issue.
- In February 1926, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was called to lead the movement.
- The women of the Bardoli gave him the title of 'Sardar'.
- Bardoli Satyagraha Patrika was brought out to mobilise the public opinion.
- By August 1928, massive tension had built up in the area. Gandhi ji reached Bardoli to stand by in case of emergency.
- The government was looking for a graceful withdrawal. As such the government set up a committee to look into the affair. The committee found that the revenue hike of 30% is injustice and recommended a rise of only 6.03%.
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