Indian Independence Movement

Choose the Correct Answer

Correct Answer : Option b

Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The Individual Satyagraha which was started as a response to the August Offer of 1940. The Individual Satyagraha had a dual purpose- while giving expression to the Indian people’s strong political feeling, it gave the British Government further opportunity to peacefully accept the Indian demands. Gandhi chose an individual Satyagraha strategy to ensure that the fight against fascism was not hampered, unlike in the past when his campaign had taken on a mass character. Gandhi handpicked the satyagrahis, and their demands were limited to claiming their freedom of speech in order to preach against war participation. It was mainly based on the principle of freedom of speech, not on the principle of non-violence in the circumstances of the war. It was to be a controlled ‘individual satyagraha’ because non-Congress members could not offer it, and it was left to Mahatma Gandhi to choose the Satyagrahis.

Statement 2 is not correct: Acharya Vinoba Bhave was to be the first Satyagrahi on 17 October 1940 and Jawaharlal Nehru the second. If the Government did not arrest a Satyagrahi, he or she would not only repeat the performance but move into the villages and start a trek towards Delhi, thus participating in a movement that came to be known as the ‘Delhi Chalo’ (onwards to Delhi) movement.