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Home Rule Movement
The Government of India Act 1909 was dissatisfactory to the aspirations of Indians.
The Congress Party’s split in 1907 and fiery leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s imprisonment from 1908 to 1914 meant that there was a lull in the national movement.
But Tilak’s release and the advent of Annie Besant brought about a revival of the national movement.
Annie Besant was an Irish socialist, writer and orator who supported the Irish and Indian home rule movements. She arrived in India in 1893.
The leaders in India were divided on whether to support Britain in the war or not. Annie Besant, however, declared, “England’s need is India’s opportunity”.
Having returned from exile in Mandalay, Tilak understood the need for a revival of the nationalist movement in the country.
He also understood the growing importance of the Congress Party in India’s political scene. So, his first task was to get readmitted into the party. (The extremists led by Tilak had separated from the Congress).
In the Congress session of December 1915, it was decided to let the extremists re-join the party largely due to Annie Besant’s persuasion. Besant had also recognised the need for Congress approval and the active participation of the extremists in the national struggle.
However, Besant and Tilak were not able to convince Congress to support their decision to set up home rule leagues.
Besant managed to convince the Congress to pledge to educative propaganda and the establishing of local-level committees. It was also agreed upon that if these conditions were not satisfied by September 1916, she would be free to set up a home rule league.
Accordingly, she set up her Home Rule League in September 1916.
Tilak, however, was not bound by any such condition and so had set up his league in April 1916.
Foundation
There were two home rule leagues launched.
Tilak launched the Indian Home Rule League in April 1916 at Belgaum.
- He gave the slogan “ Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it” Tilak’s newspapers Maratha and Kesari were organs for home rule
Annie Besant launched the Home Rule League in September 1916 at Madras.
- Annie’s Besant newspaper New India, Commonwealth and young India became important for this movement
- She coined the term Commonwealth
- George Arundale was the organizing secretary of the movement
- Many miderate nationalists who were dissatisfied with the Congress inactivity joined home rule agitation
In June 1917, Annie Beasant was arrested, popular pressure forced the government to release her in September 1917
They had the common objective of achieving self-government in India.
There was an informal understanding between both the leagues wherein Tilak’s league worked in Maharashtra (except Bombay), Karnataka, Berar and the Central Provinces. Besant’s league worked in the rest of the country.
Tilak’s league had its headquarters in Delhi. It had 6 branches. Besant’s league had 200 branches and was a looser organisation compared to Tilak’s.
The two leagues worked closely with one another. However, they did not merge to avoid friction between both the leaders.
Objectives
- To achieve self-government in India.
- To promote political education and discussion to set up agitation for self-government.
- To build confidence among Indians to speak against the government’s suppression.
- To demand a larger political representation for Indians from the British government.
- To revive political activity in India while maintaining the principles of the Congress Party.
