THE MOVEMENT OF THE WORKING CLASS

Question 1

Early efforts of the Moderates regarding Movement of working class?

Answer 1

The early nationalists, especially the Moderates:-
- Were indifferent to the labour’s cause.
- Differentiated between the labour in the Indian owned factories and those in the British-owned
factories.
- Believed that labour legislations would affect the competitive edge enjoyed by the Indian-owned
industries.
- Did not want a division in the movement on the basis of classes.
- Did not support the Factory Acts of 1881 and 1891 for these reasons.

Question 2

Workingmen’s club was started by?

Answer 2

1870 by Sasipada Benerjea started a workingmen’s club and newspaper Bharat Shramjeevi.

Question 3

Who tried to get a bill, providing better working conditions to labour, passed in the Bombay Legislative Council?

Answer 3

In 1878 Sorabjee Shapoorji Bengalee.

Question 4

Newspaper Deenbandhu was started by?

Answer 4

1880 Narain Meghajee Lokhanday started the newspaper Deenbandhu and set up the Bombay Mill and Millhands Association.

Question 5

The first strike by Great Indian Peninsular Railways took place in which year and which newspapers campaigned for the strike for months?

Answer 5

1899 The first strike by the Great Indian Peninsular Railways took place, and it got widespread support. Tilak’s Kesari and Maharatta had been campaigning for the strike for months.

Question 6

1. Leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal and G. Subramanya Aiyar who demanded better conditions for workers and other pro labour reforms.
2. There were attempts during the Swadeshi upsurge to form trade unions but these were not very successful.
3. Subramaniya Siva and Chidambaram Pillai led strikes in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli and were arrested.
   True/false?

Answer 6

1. True
2. True
3. True.

Question 7

Who was the first to link capitalism and imperialism– imperialism and militarism are the twin children of capitalism?

Answer 7

Lala Lajpat Rai.

Question 8

Who presided over the third and the fourth sessions of the AITUC?

Answer 8

Swarajist leader C.R. Das.

Question 9

Which Congress session welcomed the formation of the AITUC?

Answer 9

The Gaya session of the Congress (1922) welcomed the formation of the AITUC.

Question 10

Who helped organise the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association?

Answer 10

Gandhi helped organise the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association (1918) and through a protest secured a 27.5 per cent wage hike. (Later, the arbitrator’s award ensured a 35 per cent raise).

Question 11

The Trade Union Act, 1926?

Answer 11

The Trade Union Act, 1926
- recognised trade unions as legal associations.
- laid down conditions for registration and regulation of trade union activities.
- secured immunity, both civil and criminal, for trade unions from prosecution for Iegitimate activities, but put some restrictions on their political activities.

Question 12

In 1928 there was a six month long strike in Bombay Textile Mills led by the ________.

Answer 12

Girni Kamgar Union.

Question 13

Alarmed at the increasing strength of the trade union movement under extremist influence, the government resorted to legislative restrictions. It passed the Public Safety Ordinance (1929) and the Trade Disputes Act (TDA), 1929. The TDA, 1929 provisions?

Answer 13

1. Made compulsory the appointment of Courts of Inquiry and Consultation Boards for settling industrial disputes.
2. Made illegal the strikes in the public utility services like the posts, railways, water and electricity, unless each individual worker planning to go on strike gave an advance notice of one month to the administration.
3. Forbade trade union activity of coercive or purely political nature and even sympathetic strikes.

Question 14

Meerut Conspiracy Case?

Answer 14

In March 1929, the Government arrested 31 labour leaders, and the three and a half year resulted in the conviction of
- Muzaffar Ahmed
- S.A. Dange
- Joglekar
- Philip Spratt
- Ben Bradley
- Shaukat Usmani and others.
The trial got worldwide publicity but weakened the working class movement. The workers participated during 1930 in the Civil Disobedience Movement but after 1931 there was a dip in the working class movement because of a split in 1931 in which the corporatist trend led by N.M. Joshi broke away from the AITUC to set up the All India Trade Union Federation. In 1935, the communists rejoined the AITUC. Now, the left front consisted of the communists Congress socialists and the leftist nationalists like Nehru and Subhas.