With reference to the extent of mass participation during the Swadeshi Movement (1905–1909), consider the following statements: 1. Women from urban middle-class backgrounds began actively participating in the nationalist movement. 2. The Swadeshi Movement succeeded in gaining broad-based support among Muslim peasants across Bengal and Punjab. 3. Labour unrest during the movement led to the formation of unions, such as the Railwaymen’s Union and strikes in jute and cotton mills. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] 1 and 2 only

[B] 1 and 3 only

[C] 2 and 3 only

[D] 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Notes:

Explanation:

The movement saw urban middle-class women, traditionally confined to the home, actively participating in picketing and processions, marking a shift in their public role.
Most Muslim support, especially from the Muslim peasantry, was absent. The Muslim League was propped up in 1905 as an anti-Congress front. Government policies and religious symbolism in the movement limited broader Muslim participation.
The period witnessed labour unrest, including the formation of the Railwaymen’s Union (1906), and strikes in jute mills, cotton mills (Tuticorin, Tirunelveli), and other industrial sectors.

Source: Spectrum’s A Brief History of Modern India

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