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Peasant Movements in Colonial and Post-Colonial India
I. Chronological Overview of Major Movements
| Movement & Location | Time Period | Key Leaders | Primary Causes & Demands | Key Outcomes/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijolia Movement (Rajasthan) | 1905; 1913-1916 | Sitaram Das, Vijay Singh Pathik | Exploitation by feudal lords. | Recognized as the first peasant movement in India. |
| Awadh Kisan Movement (Uttar Pradesh) | Began 1919 | Baba Ramchandra | Began with social boycott (Nai-Dhobi Band). | Led to the formation of the Awadh Kisan Sabha (1920). |
| Bardoli Satyagraha (Gujarat) | 1928 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | Protest against increased land revenue. | Successful. Gandhi bestowed the title ‘Sardar’ upon Patel. Area politicized since 1922. |
| Eka Movement (Unity Movement – U.P.) | Late 1921 | Madari Pasi | Resist exorbitant rents (50%+ above recorded rates), illegal eviction, forced labour. Demand for fixed cash rents. | Peasants took a religious vow to pay only recorded rent and refuse eviction. Supported by small zamindars. |
| Tebhaga Movement (Bengal) | 1946 | Kisan Sabha (Communist Party) | Demand to reduce landlord’s share from one-half to one-third of the crop. | Based on the Flood Commission recommendation. Most active in Northern Bengal. Led to the Baradari Act. |
II. Major Organizations & Formations
| Organization | Founded/Formed | Location | Key Figures | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.P. Kisan Sabha | 1918 | Uttar Pradesh | Gauri Shankar Misra, Indra Narayan Dwivedi | Supported by Madan Mohan Malviya. Jawaharlal Nehru was not associated with its formation. |
| Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha | 1929 | Bihar | Swami Sahajanand Saraswati | Marked the beginning of the organized peasant movement in Bihar. |
| All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) | April 1936 | Lucknow | President: Swami Sahajanand Saraswati General Secretary: N.G. Ranga |
Formed as the All India Kisan Congress/Sabha. Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the first session. Published a Kisan Manifesto and journal. |
| All India United Kisan Sabha | 1950 (by Swami Sahajanand) | N/A | Swami Sahajanand Saraswati | Formed just before his death. Key demand was the nationalization of land and waterways. |
| Bengal Praja Party | 1929 | Bengal | Fazlul Haq | Also known as the Krishak Praja Party. |
III. Key Leaders and Their Associations
| Leader | Primary Association | Other Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baba Ramchandra | Awadh Kisan Movement (U.P.) | Led the movement that began with the Nai-Dhobi Band. |
| Madari Pasi | Eka Movement (U.P.) | Leader of the Eka (Unity) Movement. |
| Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | Bardoli Satyagraha (Gujarat) | Led the successful no-tax campaign. |
| Swami Sahajanand Saraswati | Bihar Kisan Sabha; All India Kisan Sabha | Founded the Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha (1929). First President of the AIKS. Published the Hindi journal ‘Hunkar’. Key associates: Karyanand Sharma, Rahul Sankrityayan, Yadunandan Sharma. |
| N.G. Ranga | All India Kisan Sabha | First General Secretary of the AIKS. Founded the Bhartiya Kisan Vidyalaya. |
| Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) | Led the Khudai Khidmatgars (Red Shirts) movement. |
| Swami Ramanand | Hyderabad | Associated with peasant activities in Hyderabad. |
| Abdul Hamid Khan | Southern Assam | Linked to the peasant movement in Southern Assam. |
| Acharya Vinoba Bhave | Bhoodan & Gramdan Movements | Started the Bhoodan Movement on April 18, 1951. |
| Jaya Prakash Narayan | Bhoodan Movement | Left politics in 1953 to join the Bhoodan Movement. |
| Swami Shraddhanand Saraswati | Bihar | Associated with the Bakashat agitation in Bihar. |
IV. Land Gift Movements (Post-Independence)
| Movement | Founder | Start Date & Place | Philosophy & Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhoodan Movement | Acharya Vinoba Bhave | April 18, 1951 in Pochampalli, Telangana | Asked landowners to voluntarily donate one-sixth (1/6) of their land (Bhoodan) to the landless. First donor was Ramachandra Reddy (100 acres). Most successful in Orissa (Odisha). |
| Gramdan Movement | Evolution of Bhoodan | End of 1955 | Focused on the voluntary donation of entire villages for communal welfare. Found significant success in Orissa (Odisha). |
V. Summary of Key Facts
- First Peasant Movement: Bijolia (Rajasthan)
- First All India Peasant Body: All India Kisan Sabha (1936, Lucknow)
- First President of AIKS: Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
- Important Journals: Hunkar (by Swami Sahajanand Saraswati)
- Important Regional Movements:
- Awadh (U.P.) – Led by Baba Ramchandra
- Eka (U.P.) – Led by Madari Pasi
- Bihar – Led by Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
- Bardoli (Gujarat) – Led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Tebhaga (Bengal) – Led by the Kisan Sabha
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