Chapter 51 : Personalities Associated with Various Phases of the National Movement

Personalities Associated with Various Phases of the National Movement

Swadeshi Movement

• Lokmanya Tilak: Spread the message of swadeshi to Poona and Bombay. Organised Ganapati and Shivaji festivals to arouse patriotic feelings. Stressed that the aim of swadeshi, boycott, and national education was the attainment of swaraj. Opened cooperative stores and headed the Swadeshi Wastu Pracharini Sabha.
• Lala Lajpat Rai: Took the movement to Punjab and parts of northern India. Assisted by Ajit Singh. Published articles in the Kayastha Samachar endorsing technical education and industrial self-sufficiency.
• Syed Haider Raza: Popularised the movement in Delhi.
• Chidambaram Pillai: Joined politics following the partition of Bengal; spread the movement to Madras.
• Organised the strike of the Tuticorin Coral Mill to protest working conditions.
• Founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in Tuticorin (east coast of Madras Province) to break the trade monopoly of the British India Steam Navigation Company.
• Bought the SS Lavo and SS Galia from France and started regular services between Tuticorin and Colombo (Sri Lanka). His ships flew flags emblazoned with ‘Vande Mataram’.
• Sentenced to two life terms for sedition in 1908; he was not seen as a political prisoner but was reportedly put to hard labour and even tortured. Released in 1912, faced hardship as his lawyer's licence was revoked.
• Wrote his autobiography in Tamil verse, a commentary on the Thirukkural, and compiled the ancient works of Tamil grammar, Tholkappiam.
• Ethiraj Surendranath Arya: Active in Madras Presidency (Moore Market and Marina Beach areas). Spent early years in Calcutta developing an extremist nationalistic attitude. Returned to Madras in 1906, worked for the Brahmo Samaj, then joined the Swadeshi movement. Leader of the Chennai Janasangham and the Swadeshi Wastu Paricharini Sabha. Fundraiser for victims of the Tinnevelly (Tirunelveli) riots. Arrested and imprisoned on sedition charges in 1908.
• Bipin Chandra Pal: Extremist Congress group leader who popularised the movement in urban areas. Editor of New India.
• Liaquat Hussain : Suggested boycott and organised the East Indian Railway strike…