Structure:

Introduction: (upto 30 words) Mention about swadeshi and boycott movement

Body: (upto 100 words) write about Karnataka’s response to the partition of Bengal

Supporting Points:

• October 16, 1905 is an important date for Bengal. The then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon decided to divide the region in a way that the western part was home to the Hindu majority area and the eastern part for the Muslim majority.
• Bengal was as large as France and had a significantly larger population too. Since 1765, Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa were a single province in British India. But by the 1900s the province had grown too large to handle under a single administration. East Bengal, because of isolation and poor communication, had been neglected in comparison to west Bengal and Bihar. Thus the partition was promoted for administrative regions.
• Lord Curzon, the architect of the partition, knew that splitting Bengal, would weaken their influence and divide the nationalist movement.
• The Swadeshi Movement, now known as 'Make in India' campaign was officially proclaimed on August 7, 1905 at the Calcutta Town Hall, in Bengal. Boycott movement was also launched along with the Swadeshi movement. The movements included using goods produced in India and burning British-made goods.. Bal Gandadhar Tilak encouraged Swadeshi and Boycott movement after the British government decided the partition of Bengal.

Karnataka’s response to the call of swadeshi and boycott movement are as follows

• The foreign goods were publicly burnt down in Belgaum, Navalgund, Hanagal and Dharwad and in other places.
• Many of the prominent Kannadigas such as Alur Venkat Rao, Mudaveedu Krishna Rao, Sakri Balacharya and others travelled throughout Karnataka and encouraged the people to participate in the Swadeshi Movement. Many of the volunteers of this movement were imprisoned.
• The Vangbangh (Partition of Bengal) Movement spread rapidly throughout India due to the division of Bengal in 1905. Then Tilak visited Karnataka and put forth his four principles which were:
  1. ‘Swadeshi Prasar'
  2. 'Videshi Bahiska
  3. 'National Education'
  4. 'Demand for Swaraj'.
• Deshpande Gangadhar Rao of Belgaum, Koujalagi Shrinivas Rao of Bijapur, worked as his trustworthy followers. Gangadhar Rao Deshpande by his roaring lecture became famous throughout Karnataka and was called as 'Karnataka Shimha (Lion of Karnataka).
• The Literary works of Alur Venkat Rao, Galaganath, B .Venkatacharya, K.Vasudevacharya, Subodh Ramrao and Shantakavi (Sakri Balachar) greatly inspired Kannadigas.
• The role played by Karnataka sabha founded by Alur Venkata Rao in 1916 in Dharwad, was remarkable. The Brahmo Samaj, the Arya Samaj, the Theosophical Society, the Ramakrishna Mission had their own influence in Karnataka.
• Revolutionary organisations were also established in Karnataka as in Maharashtra, Bengal and Punjab. Govindrao Yalagi of Belgaum was the main leader. He had the support of Gangadhar Rao Deshpande. The training in arms and the use of ammunitions were taught to the youths in the Mazzini Club which was established by Yalagi.
• In Belgaum the match factory was situated in the Patil Street in the building of Ushathai Gogate Girls High School, where also bomb was being prepared. The revolutionary centre in Goa had the contact with Karnataka with the revolutionaries like Veera Sawarkar, Senapati Bapat of Maharashtra, Barindra Ghosh (the brother of Yogi Aurobindo Ghosh of Bengal) .
• The supporter of Yalagi, Hanumanthrao,Deshpande was imprisoned for many days, in connection with the bombs and pistols. Gunda Bhat Joshi of Guledgudd was also imprisoned for a year. Bheemarao Bevur and Dr.Handur were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment.
• Ganapule was in the revolutionary organisation. All these brave Kannadigas were responsible for bringing up the name of Karnataka in the history of Indian Revolution.
• N.S.Hardikar established Hindustani Seva Dal in Hubli. Within a short span of time, it was developed as an All India Organisation and Bagalkot also being its centre.
• All the Seva Dal volunteers did a good service in all the movements. Gangadhar Rao Deshpande established a branch of Charaka sangh at Bangalore, and he became the first 'Sanchalak' of the Sangh.
• Gandhi’s ideas and principles of Charaka were propagated for the people through the 'Charaka Sangh’.
• Nearly 400 representatives from Karnataka attended the Congress Session in Nagapur and they demanded a separate Regional Congress Committee and they succeeded in it. 'Karnataka Simha' Gangadhar Rao Deshpande was its first President.
• Later on, the freedom movement spread rapidly in Karnataka. Students boycotted classes and joined the movement. Burning of foreign goods, protest meetings and processions were held. Many Kannadigas had to lose their life and had to be imprisoned.