Question

What was the central demand of Bardoli Satyagraha?

• A. Refusal to do indigo cultivation
• B. Refusal to pay land revenue
• C. Refusal to do sharecropping
• D. Demand for better market opportunities

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The Bardoli Satyagraha was a significant movement in Indian history led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1928. The central demand of this movement was the refusal to pay land revenue. This protest emerged as a reaction to the increase in land revenue rates by the British colonial government. The peasants of Bardoli, primarily consisting of farmers, were suffering due to a series of poor harvests, and the government's decision to increase the tax rates further exacerbated their distress. 

• The main objective was to oppose this unjust increase and demand a rollback to support the struggling farmers.
• The movement was characterized by non-violent civil disobedience, where the farmers collectively decided not to pay the inflated taxes.
• This act of defiance gained widespread support and attention, leading to negotiations with the British authorities.
• Ultimately, the government was forced to conduct an inquiry, which led to the revocation of the increased tax rates.

Therefore, the correct answer to the central demand of Bardoli Satyagraha is: Refusal to pay land revenue.

Answer 2

The Bardoli Satyagraha was a significant movement led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1928 in the Bardoli taluka of Gujarat. The central demand of the movement was the refusal to pay an increased land revenue that was imposed by the British government. The revenue hike was considered exorbitant and unjust by the farmers, who were already struggling with a poor harvest and economic distress.

The movement involved non-violent resistance (Satyagraha), where the farmers refused to pay the increased revenue. The government initially took harsh actions, including confiscating lands and property, but the farmers' resistance gained widespread support, and ultimately, the British government had to relent, reducing the land revenue and returning the confiscated lands.

• (A) Refusal to do indigo cultivation: This was the central demand of the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, not the Bardoli Satyagraha.
• (C) Refusal to do sharecropping: While sharecropping issues were part of India's agrarian distress, the central issue in Bardoli was land revenue, not sharecropping.
• (D) Demand for better market opportunities: This was not the central demand of the Bardoli Satyagraha.

Thus, the correct answer is (B) Refusal to pay land revenue.