The partition of Bengal (1905)

Boycott and Swadeshi Movement (1905-08)

                 The Partition of Bengal came into effect on Oct. 16, 1905, through a Royal Proclamation, reducing the old province of Bengal in size by creating a new province of East Bengal, which later on became Pakistan and present day Bangladesh.

                 The Government explained that it was done to stimulate growth of under- developed Eastern region of the Bengal. But, actually, the main objective was to ‘Divide and Rule’ the most advanced region of the country at that time.

                  The main reason of partition of Bengal was to destroy the political influence of the educated middle class among whom the Bengali intelligentsia's   were the most prominent, it also set up a communal gulf between Hindus and Muslims .The INC unanimously condemned the partition of Bengal.

                                  The Boycott and Swadeshi movement its genesis in the ant partition movement which was started to oppose the British decision to divide Bengal. 

                                   With the start of the Swadeshi movement at the turn of the country, the Indian National Movement took a major leap forward.

                                  The INC took up the Swadeshi call in Benaras Session, 1905 Presided over by G.K. Gokhle and supported the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement of Bengal.

                  Militant nationalism spearheaded by Trio of Lal-Bal-Pal (LalaLajpar Raj, Bal Gangahar and Bipin Chandra Pal) and Aurobindo Ghosh was however, in favour of extending the movement to the rest of India and carrying it beyond the programme of just Swadeshi and Boycott of goods to full-fledged political mass struggle.

                On August 7, 1905, a resolution to boycott British goods was adopted at a meeting of the INC held in Calcutta. It was started s a purely economic measure for the development of Indian industry.

                 Bonfire of foreign goods was launched on a large scale in all the major cities. Tilak took the movement to different parts of India esp. in Pune and Mumbai. Ajit Singh and Lala Lajpat Ray spread the Swadeshi message in Punjab and other parts of Northern India. Syed haidar Raza set up the agenda in Delhi. 

               Rawalpindi, Kangra, Jammu, Multan and Hardwar witnessed active public participation in Swadeshi Movement. Childambam Pillai took the movement to Madras Presidency which was also galvanized by Bipin Chandra pal’s extensive lecture tour.