Answer in four or five sentences each.

(a) Give an account of the peasants’ movement.

(b) Write about workers’ movement in India.

(c) Write about the Meerut Conspiracy case.

(a) The economic policies of the British had adversely affected the Indian peasant while it protected the landlords and money lenders. A brief account of the peasants’ movement against exploitation is as follows:

1. In Bengal, the peasants formed their union and revolted against the compulsion of indigo plantation.

2. In 1875, the peasants in Maharashtra rose in revolt against the atrocities of landlords and money lenders.

3. In 1918, the peasants in Uttar Pradesh formed ‘Kisan Sabha’ under the leadership of Baba Ramachandra.

4. In Kerala, Mopla peasants rose in great revolt but British crushed the uprising.

5. In 1936, Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha was formed at the initiative of Professor N.G. Ranga. The Sabha presented a declaration of peasants’ rights to the Congress and thousands of peasants attended the Faizpur session to observe its adaptation.

(b) The workers’ movement dates to the beginning of industrialisation in the latter half of the 19^th century in India:

1. Shashipad Banerjee and Narayan Meghaji Lokhande organized workers at local level. Lokhande is called the ‘Father of the Indian Workers’ Movement’ for his contribution.

2. Agitation against the wretched conditions of the tea plantation workers was organized in Assam.

3. Workers of the Great Indian Peninsular (G.I.P.) Railways called a strike for their demands. Workers had repeatedly gone on strike to support the Swadeshi movement.

4. The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was founded in the wake of the First World War (1914-18) as it led to a considerable increase in the size of the working class population.

5. Shripad Amrut Dange, Muzaffar Ahmed and other socialist leaders propagated socialist agenda and built militant union of workers. The struggle of the Trade Union Movement complemented the National Struggle.

(c) In 1925, the Communist Party was established in India and many young communist came forward to form militant organizations of workers and peasants. The British government was alarmed by the militant nature of the movement and decided to crush it. Muzaffar Ahmed, Shripad Amrut Dange, Nilkantha Jogalekar and other communist leaders were arrested with the charge of planning a conspiracy to overthrow the British rule. Since the trail for the case took place in Meerut, it came to be known as the Meerut Conspiracy.