Tag: militant nationalism

A school of Nationalism had existed in the country from almost the beginning of the national movement. This school was represented by leaders like Rajnarain Bose and Ashwin Kumar Dutta in Bengal.

The main focus of the Assertive Nationalists was to get a large share for Indians in the administration of their country and to end British's economic exploitation of India. They adopted the policy of non-cooperation and resistance to unjust act of the British government. They gave new slogans to the national movement like 'non-cooperation, passive resistance, mass agitation and self reliance'.

The efforts made by the moderate leaders through their writings, agitations and petitions to the British government, exposed the true character of the British rule in India. It was felt that the British rule was responsible for the economic ruin of India and her growing poverty. Some of the political events from 1892 to 1905 like the reduction the number of Indian members in the Calcutta Corporation, the restrictions on the press etc, made Indians realise that instead of giving them more rights, the British were taking away even their few existing rights. All this convinced the Indians that India could not make progress unless British imperialism was replaced by a government run by them. Thus, the Assertive Nationalist ideology found favour with the masses.

The main focus of the Assertive Nationalists was to get a large share for Indians in the administration of their country and to end Britain's economic exploitation of India. They believed that this objective could not be realised without pressure tactics and some sort of direct action. The methods adopted by them can be grouped into four categories. They are:

• Swadeshi
• Boycott
• National Education
• Passive Resistance

Tilak and other Assertive Nationalists had the following four-fold programme for effective political action for the attainment of Swaraj:

• Boycott
• Swadeshi
• National Education
• Resistance: passive, as well as active

The main focus of the Assertive Nationalism was to get a large share for Indians in the administration of their country and to end Britain's economic exploitation of India. They believed that these objectives could not be realised without pressure tactics and some sort of direct action.

After joining the Indian National Congress, and taking part in political agitation in Punjab, Lajpat Rai was deported to Mandalay, Burma, without trial, in May 1907. In November, however, he was allowed to return when the viceroy, Lord Minto, decided that there was insufficient evidence. Lajpat Rai’s supporters attempted to secure his election to the presidency of the party session at Surat in December 1907, but elements favouring co-operation with the British refused to accept him, and the party split over the issues.

 Lala Lajpat Rai wrote Unhappy India. He said, ” A man without a soul is a mere animal. A nation without a soul is only a dumb driven cattle.“

The main objective of the Assertive Nationalist was the immediate attainment of ‘swaraj’. This means complete independence and not just self-government as in the colonies of Australia, New Zealand, etc.

• The efforts made by the moderate leaders through their writings, agitations and petitions to the British government, exposed the true character of the British rule in India.
• It was felt that the British rule was responsible for the economic ruin of India and her growing poverty.    
• Some of the political events from  1892 to 1905, like the reduction in the number of  Indian members in the Calcutta Corporation, the restrictions of the Press, etc., made  Indians realise that instead of giving them more rights the British were taking away their few existing rights.
• All this convinced the Indians that India could not make progress unless British imperialism was replaced by a government run by them.

In 1928 while leading a procession at Lahore against the Simon Commission he was injured in a lathi charge. He succumbed to his injuries a mount later on November 17, 1928. On the day he was wounded, he said, "Lathi blows inflicted on me would prove some day as nails in the coffin of the British empire."