Tag: civics

The Partition came into effect on October 16, 1905. The leaders of the protest movement declared it a day of national mourning throughout Bengal. It was observed as a day of fasting. There was hartal in Kolkata. People walked barefooted and bathed in the Ganga in the early morning hours.

The Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists cooperated with one another during the course of Anti Partition movement.

The Anti-Partition agitation backfired the plans of Lord Curzon. It gave added strength to the National Movement. The methods adopted by the Early Nationalists lost their appeal and gave an opportunity to the Assertive Nationalists to lead the National Movement.

Rabindranath Tagore composed the patriotic song, Amar Sonar Bangla for the occasion of Partition of Bengal which was sung by huge crowds parading the streets against Partition of Bengal.

In the afternoon on 16 October 1905, there was a great demonstration when the veteran leader Ananda Mohan Bose laid the foundation of a Federation Hall to mark the indestructible unity of Bengal, All gathered there took the vow to follow Swadeshi.

Lord Curzon, the British Viceroy at the time ordered partition of Bengal. The decision met with wide opposition in the form of Swadeshi movement. People were on the streets tying rakhi signifing unity, shouting slogans and songs like Vande Mataram, Amar Sona Bangla (My Golden Bengal), etc. It was decided to annul the partition of Bengal in 1911 mainly to control the danger of revolutionary terrorism.

In order to check the Swadeshi and the Boycott movement, the government used all forms of repression. Their repressive measures not only generated anger among the youth but also inflamed their patriotic fervor. As a result, a number of patriotic revolutionary groups began to operate. They were active in Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.

'Swadeshi literally means of one's own country.' It aimed at the promotion of indigenous industries for strengthening the nation. According to Lala Lajpat Rai, "The Swadeshi movement ought to make us self-respecting, self-reliant, self-supporting."

On July 20, 1905 Lord Curzon announced the division of the province of Bengal into following two provinces. The scheme of the partition of Bengal was implemented on October 16, 1905.

The people lost their faith in the fair play and justice of the British. Lord Curzon refused to concede to the demands of annulling the partition of Bengal. He said, “Partition of Bengal is a settled fact and what is settled cannot be unsettled.”