HOME RULE MOVEMENT
The Home Rule League Programme
The League campaign aimed to convey to the common man the message of
home rule as self-government. It carried a much wider appeal than the earlier
mobilisations had and also attracted the hitherto ‘politically backward’ regions
of Gujarat and Sindh.
The aim was to be achieved by promoting political education and discussion
through public meetings, organising libraries and reading rooms containing
books on national politics, holding conferences, organising classes for students
on politics, carrying out propaganda through newspapers, pamphlets, posters,
illustrated post-cards, plays, religious songs, etc., collecting funds, organising
social work, and participating in local government activities.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 proved to be an added advantage for the Home
Rule campaign.
Factors Leading to the Movement:
Tilak was ready to assume leadership after his release in June 1914, and had
made conciliatory gestures— to the government reassuring it of his loyalty and
to the Moderates that he wanted, like the Irish Home Rulers, a reform of the
administration and not an overthrow of the government. He also admitted that
the acts of violence had
only served to retard the pace of political progress in India. He urged all Indians
to assist the British government in its hour of crisis.
Annie Besant, the Irish theosophist based in India since 1896, had decided to
enlarge the sphere of her activities to include the building of a movement for
home rule on the lines of the Irish Home Rule Leagues.
The Moderates were disillusioned with the Morley- Minto reforms. It further
ended up offering separate electorate to the Muslims in India.
A section of the nationalists felt that popular pressure was required to attain
concessions from the government.
Impacts of ongoing first world war also created tense economic situations.
Ordinance of defence of India act of 1915 curtailed civil liberties making life
further miserable for people of India.
Branches of Home rule movement:
Home rule movement had a pan India branch headed by Annie Besant with the
headquarter at Adiyar. She used newspapers such Commonweal and New India
to voice her opinion.
Regional branch was headed by Bal Gangadhar Tilak with the headquarters at
Poona. He mobilised the masses alongside common Maratha culture. He used
his newspapers Maratha and Kesari to express his views.
The Home Rule agitation was later joined by Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru,
Bhulabhai Desai, Chittaranjan Das, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Mohammad Ali
Jinnah, Tej Bahadur Sapru and Lala Lajpat Rai. Some of these leaders became
heads of local branches.
m
co
l.
ai
British response to HRM:
gm
g@
dp
Tilak was barred from entering the Punjab and Delhi. In June 1917, Annie
bb
od
Besant and her associates, B.P. Wadia and George Arundale, were arrested. This
m
ra
invited nationwide protest.
rp
fo
y
nl
In a dramatic gesture, Sir S. Subramaniya Aiyar renounced his knighthood
O
while Tilak advocated a programme of passive resistance.
The government came down with severe repression, especially in Madras where
the students were prohibited from attending political meetings.
The end of HRM:
The Secretary of State for India, Edwin Samuel Montagu, made a statement on
August 20, 1917 in the British House of Commons in what has come to be
known as the August Declaration of 1917. The statement said: “The
government policy is of an increasing participation of Indians in every branch
of administration and gradual development of self- governing institutions with a
view to the progressive realisation of responsible government in India as an
integral part of the British Empire.”
This official statement took the wind out of the sail, most nationalist argued that
they had achieved whatever they were looking for. For example the statement
of secretary of state was taken as victory by Annie Besant.
Tilak was accused of being “the father of all Indian unrest” by Valentine Chirol.
He went to London to fight a case against Chirol. Thus lack of leadership
became a primary reason behind end of HRM.
Most of nationalist towards 1920s were attracted towards Gandhian mainstream
political activities especially Rowlatt satyagraha.
m
co
l.
ai
gm
g@
dp
bb
od
m
ra
rp
fo
y
nl
O
