Pabna Movement
Year: 1873-1885
Area: Pabna, Bengal
Leader: Ishan Chandra Roy, Shambhu Nath Pal, Khodi Mulla.
Reason for the revolt: The peasants organised a no-rent union and launched armed attacks on the zamindars and their agents because of illegal seizure of property, arbitrary enhancement of rent and use of force, frequent recourses to ejection and harassment,
The Act of 1859 provided ryots with immunity from eviction. The attempts of zamindars to annihilate the tenant’s newly acquired occupancy rights and to convert them into tenants at will through forcibly written agreement resulted in harassment and atrocities that were vehemently opposed by peasants.
Agrarian League (1873), organised by peasants of Yusufshahi Pargana of Pabna, which raised funds to mitigate litigation expenses, held mass meetings.
British Reaction: This peasant movement was suppressed only after armed intervention by the government. Later an enquiry committee was appointed to look into the complaints of the peasants, which led to the enactment of an act.
Champaran Movement
Year: 1917-1918
Area: Champaran, Bihar
Leader: Mahatma Gandhi, assisted by J.B. Kripalani, Babu Brajkishore Prasad and Babu Rajendra Prasad.
Reason for the revolt: The tenant farmers were forced by the British planters to cultivate indigo in the three-twentieth part of a bigha of their holding; this was known as the ‘Teen Kathia’ system.
Losses were transferred to poor peasants, or they could give up indigo cultivation by paying higher rents for the land.
Nature of the revolt: Gandhiji’s method of peaceful satyagraha and civil disobedience.
British Reaction: The government had to relent and called Gandhiji for talks and also made him a member of the committee to enquire into the plight of the indigo peasants.
The Teen Kathia system was abolished based on the committee’s report.
Kheda Satyagraha
Year: 1918
Area: Kheda, Gujarat
Leader: Mahatma Gandhi
Reason for the revolt: The immediate backdrop to the agitation was a poor harvest in 1917-18, which coincided with an increase in the price of essentials.
The peasants demanded remission of revenue for the year to alleviate their suffering, but the colonial government ignored their concerns.
Getting no assurance from the government on the demands of peasants, Gandhi decided at a meeting of the Gujarat Sabha to resort to Satyagraha.
Nature of the revolt: Reports of violence in some areas disobeying Gandhi’s appeal to passive resistance.
British Reaction: Mohanlal Kameshwar Pandya and other local leaders were arrested for defying the government.
The government ordered its local officials to be restrained in the collection of revenues and not to confiscate lands because they wanted Indian support in British war efforts.
