Q. Regarding the critique of the Bardoli Resolution (1922) and Gandhi’s strategy, consider the following statements:
1.Critics like Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru argued that the withdrawal was a “national calamity” because the movement was retracted just as the government was on the defensive.
2.Gandhi justified the retreat by stating that mass movements have an inherent tendency to fatigue, and a strategic withdrawal was necessary to prevent the demoralization that follows a crushed rebellion.
3.Some radical historians argue that Gandhi withdrew the movement to protect the interests of the landed aristocracy and the business class, as the movement was turning into a “no-rent” campaign in several provinces.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: D
Notes:
Explanation:
Statement 1: Correct. Both young leaders were in prison and were shocked by the sudden halt of the momentum.
Statement 2: Correct. This is the “Struggle-Truce-Struggle” (S-T-S) strategy; Gandhi believed people need a “breathing space” to consolidate gains.
Statement 3: Correct. This “class-interest” argument is a common Marxist critique of the Bardoli Resolution, as Gandhi explicitly asked peasants to pay their land revenue to the landlords in the same resolution.
