increasing the number of elected members in the legislative council separating judicial and executive functions A.O. Hume Anti-Colonial Movements and the Birth of Nationalism The growth of regional language newspapers played a role in building a sense of proud Bengali identity. (b) Anti- Partition Movement With the failure to annul the partition moderate leaders were forced to rethink their strategy and look for new techniques of protest. The boycott of British goods was one such method.
However, the agenda of Swadeshi Movement was still restricted to secure an annulment of partition and the moderates were very much against utilising the campaign to start a full-fledged passive resistance. The militant nationalists, on the other hand, were in favour of extending the movement beyond Bengal and to initiate a full-scale mass struggle. The day Bengal was officially partitioned – Oct – was declared as a day of mourning. Thousands of people took bath in the Ganga and marched on the streets of Calcutta singing Bande Mataram.
(c) Boycott and Swadeshi Movement in Bengal ( – ) Boycott and swadeshi were always interlinked to each other and part of the wider plan to make India self-sufficient. Four major trends can be discerned during the swadeshi Movement in Bengal. . The Moderate Trend .
Constructive Swadeshi . Militant Nationalism . Revolutionary Nationalism Swadeshi Movement reducing military expenditure reduction of Home Charges extension of trial by jury holding civil services exams in India as well as in England. police reforms reconsideration of forest laws promotion of Indian industries and an end to unfair tariffs and excise duties.
(d) Militant Nationalism The methods of moderate leaders failed to yield any substantive change in the British attitude towards the moderate demands of early Indian nationalists. They were criticised by a group of leaders known as “extremists”. Instead of prayers and petitions, these militants were more focused on self-help.