Chapter 13 : First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907–17)

First Phase of Revolutionary Activities (1907–17)

Introduction and Context

• The Indian National Movement was largely non-violent, but a strand of revolutionary movement existed in the early decades of the 20th century.
• The revolutionaries questioned the non-violent approach of the Congress and believed only violent methods would drive the British out.
• Phases of Revolutionary Activity:
• First Phase: Acquired an activist form as a fallout of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement and continued till 1917.
• Second Phase: Started as a fallout of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Why the Surge of Revolutionary Activities

• Disillusionment of Youth: After the decline of the open movement, younger nationalists found it impossible to retreat and looked for avenues to express their patriotic energies.
• Failure of Leadership: The Extremist leaders called upon the youth to make sacrifices but failed to create an effective organisation or find new forms of political work to tap these revolutionary energies.
• Government Repression: Finding all avenues of peaceful political protest closed under government repression, the youth concluded that the British must be expelled physically by force to meet the nationalist goal of independence.

The Revolutionary Programme

• Rejected Options: The revolutionaries considered, but found impractical at that stage, creating a violent mass revolution throughout the country or subverting the loyalties of the army.
• Adopted Methodology: They opted to follow in the footsteps of Russian nihilists or Irish nationalists.
• Methods Included:
• Individual heroic actions (assassinating unpopular officials, traitors, and informers).
• Conducting swadeshi dacoities to raise funds for revolutionary activities.
• Organising military conspiracies (during the First World War) with an expectation of help from Britain's enemies.
• Objectives: To strike terror in the hearts of the rulers, arouse the people, remove the fear of authority, and inspire idealistic youth who would finally drive the British out.
• Ideological Failure of Extremists: The Extremist leaders failed to ideologically counter the revolutionaries because they did not highlight the difference between a mass-based revolution and individual violent activity, thus allowing individualistic violence to take root.

A Survey of Revolutionary Activities

Bengal

• Background: By the 1870s, Calcutta's student community was honeycombed with secret societies, though not very active.