Peasant, Tribal and Labour Movements in Modern India Notes

Alongside the national movement led by the middle class, there were many movements of farmers, tribals and workers in colonial India. They rose against high taxes, forced cultivation, the power of the landlord and moneylender, the loss of forest rights and low wages. These movements show the sufferings of the common people under British rule, and some of them later joined the freedom struggle. For the UPSC Prelims, you must know the names, places, leaders and years; for the Mains, you should understand their causes, features and effects. This note covers the peasant, tribal and labour movements in simple language, with tables and a Mains structure.

Causes of the Peasant and Tribal Unrest

The British land revenue systems, such as the Permanent Settlement and the Ryotwari system, put a heavy burden on farmers. The commercialisation of agriculture forced the farmers to grow cash crops, and the moneylenders and landlords took away their land through debt. The tribals lost control of their forests because of the forest laws (the Forest Acts of 1865, 1878 and 1927), and outsiders (dikus) entered their areas. The policy of the British to protect the landlords and the courts, and the lack of a response to their complaints, led to rebellions.

Major Peasant Movements Before 1900

Peasant Movements in the Gandhian and Later Phases

• Champaran (1917): Gandhi's first Satyagraha against the forced indigo cultivation (tinkathia system) in Bihar.
• Kheda (1918): Peasants of Gujarat refused to pay the revenue after crop failure.
• Awadh Kisan Sabha (1920) and Eka Movement (1921-22): Baba Ramchandra, with the help of Jawaharlal Nehru, organised the farmers of Awadh against high rents; the Eka movement was led by lower-caste leaders such as Madari Pasi.
• Moplah Rebellion (1921): In Malabar, the Muslim tenants rose against the Hindu landlords and the British, and the movement took a communal turn.
• Bardoli Satyagraha (1928): Led by Vallabhbhai Patel against a rise in revenue; it was a success, and Patel got the title of Sardar.
• All India Kisan Sabha (1936): Formed at Lucknow with Swami Sahajanand Saraswati as the first president; it demanded the abolition of the zamindari system.
• Tebhaga (1946): In Bengal, the share-croppers demanded two-thirds of the produce, instead of half.
• Telangana Movement (1946-51): Peasants led by the Communists rose against the landlords of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

Tribal Movements

Birsa Munda is remembered as Dharti Aaba (Father of the Earth). He was arrested in 1900 and died in the Ranchi jail. The government now observes 15 November, his birth anniversary, as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. The tribal movements differed from the peasant ones, because they had a strong religious and cultural character and rejected the very presence of the outsiders.

Labour and Trade Union Movement

The factories, mines and plantations of the colonial economy created a working class with long hours, low wages and unsafe conditions. The early efforts were reformist. The Factory Acts of 1881 and 1891 gave some limited protections, mostly because of the Lancashire mill owners who wanted to reduce the competition from Indian industry. N. M. Lokhande formed the Bombay Mill Hands' Association in 1890. After the First World War, labour organisations grew fast.

• Madras Labour Union (1918): Founded by B. P. Wadia; the first modern trade union.
• Textile Labour Association (1920): Founded at Ahmedabad under the guidance of Gandhi, with the Gandhian approach of arbitration.
• All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC, 1920): The first national body, formed at Bombay with Lala Lajpat Rai as the first president, and N. M. Joshi and Dewan Chaman Lall as leaders.
• Trade Unions Act, 1926: Gave legal status to registered unions.
• Trade Disputes Act, 1929: Banned strikes in public utilities and encouraged arbitration.
• Royal Commission on Labour (Whitley Commission), 1929: Studied the working conditions of labour.
• Bombay textile strike (1928): A big strike under the Girni Kamgar Union led by the Communists.

In the late 1920s, the Communists gained a strong influence in the AITUC, and the movement split into groups. After Independence, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC, 1947) came up with the Congress, and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha was formed in 1948 by the socialists.

Government Response and Reform Laws

The British response was twofold: firm suppression of the rebels with the army and police, and, when the unrest became serious, a limited reform to restore calm. After the Indigo Revolt, the Indigo Commission recommended that the planters cannot force the peasants. After the Deccan Riots, the Deccan Agriculturists' Relief Act (1879) restricted the power of moneylenders to arrest and evict farmers. After the Munda Ulgulan, the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908) recognised the tribal land rights, and after the Santhal Hul, a separate Santhal Pargana district was created in 1855. Later, the Bengal Tenancy Act (1885) gave some security to the tenants. These laws were small steps and often poorly enforced, but they show that the movements forced the government to change its policy.

Features and Limitations of These Movements

• Most of them were local, spontaneous and limited to one region, without a long-term programme.
• They were often directed against the immediate oppressors (the landlord, moneylender or planter) and not against the colonial state as a whole.
• They were put down by force, but some brought legal reforms, such as the Deccan Agriculturists' Relief Act and the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act.
• Later, the Kisan Sabhas and the unions became linked with the national movement and the Left parties, and added the demand of land reforms.

Mains Angle: Did Peasant Movements Contribute to the National Movement?

Argue that the peasant and tribal movements raised the awareness of exploitation, created leaders and organisations and drew the attention of the nationalists to the issues of the poor. The Congress took up the demand of the peasants in the Champaran, Kheda and Bardoli, which widened its mass base. But also point out that the Congress did not take the radical demands like the abolition of zamindari before Independence, which caused differences with the Kisan Sabha. A balanced conclusion would say that these movements formed a parallel stream which strengthened the idea of social and economic justice in the freedom struggle.

Practice Questions

• Q1. Who led the Munda Ulgulan? Answer: Birsa Munda.
• Q2. Who wrote Nil Darpan? Answer: Dinabandhu Mitra.
• Q3. Who was the first president of the AITUC? Answer: Lala Lajpat Rai.
• Q4. In which year was the All India Kisan Sabha formed? Answer: 1936.

Read this with the notes on the Revolt of 1857 and the land revenue systems.

Modern Relevance

Many issues raised in these movements are still discussed today: farmers' debt, fair prices, land rights of tribals under the Forest Rights Act 2006, and the social security of workers under the labour codes. A student can use these historical examples in answers on agrarian distress and inclusive growth.

Memory Tips

Group the movements by region and phase: Bengal (Indigo, Pabna, Tebhaga), Maharashtra (Deccan Riots, Warli), Bihar-Jharkhand (Santhal, Munda), Gujarat (Kheda, Bardoli), and the south (Moplah, Rampa). For each group, attach a leader and a law. This simple map is easier than memorising a long list.

Quick Revision

• Indigo Revolt 1859-60; Pabna 1873; Deccan Riots 1875; Bardoli 1928; Kisan Sabha 1936; Tebhaga 1946.
• Santhal Hul 1855-56 (Sidhu and Kanhu); Munda Ulgulan (Birsa Munda); Rampa (Alluri Sitarama Raju).
• Madras Labour Union 1918; AITUC 1920; Trade Unions Act 1926.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What was the Indigo Revolt?

It was the 1859-60 revolt of indigo farmers in Bengal against the forced cultivation of indigo by the European planters.

Who wrote Nil Darpan?

Dinabandhu Mitra wrote the play Nil Darpan on the sufferings of indigo farmers.

What caused the Deccan Riots of 1875?

The debts to moneylenders and the heavy revenue demand under the Ryotwari system caused the Deccan Riots.

Who led the Bardoli Satyagraha?

Vallabhbhai Patel led the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928.

When was the All India Kisan Sabha formed?

It was formed in 1936 at Lucknow with Swami Sahajanand Saraswati as president.

What was the Tebhaga movement?

It was the 1946 movement of share-croppers in Bengal demanding two-thirds of the produce.

Who led the Santhal Hul?

Sidhu and Kanhu led the Santhal rebellion of 1855-56.

Who was Birsa Munda?

Birsa Munda led the Munda Ulgulan of 1899-1900 and is remembered as Dharti Aaba.

Which Act protected tribal land in Chotanagpur?

The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908 protected the tribal land.

Which was the first modern trade union in India?

The Madras Labour Union (1918), founded by B. P. Wadia.

When was the AITUC formed and who was its first president?

The AITUC was formed in 1920 at Bombay, and Lala Lajpat Rai was its first president.

What did the Trade Unions Act, 1926 do?

It gave legal recognition to registered trade unions.