Question
UPSC Prelims 2026 Question:
Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 3: The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
Detailed Solution
Explanation:
The Eka Movement and the Bardoli Satyagraha were important peasant movements of the 1920s, but they differed significantly in their nature, leadership, and demands.
- The Eka (Unity) Movement of 1921–22 took place in the Hardoi, Bahraich, Sitapur, and Barabanki districts of Awadh in present-day Uttar Pradesh. It was led primarily by Madari Pasi and emerged as a peasant protest against excessive rent demands, illegal cesses, forced labour, and eviction practices of zamindars and taluqdars. Peasants particularly opposed rents that were often much higher than recorded rates. Therefore, the Eka Movement was essentially a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
- The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 took place in Bardoli taluka of Surat district in Gujarat under the leadership of Vallabhbhai Patel. It was a disciplined no-tax movement launched against a sharp enhancement of land revenue assessment by the Bombay Presidency government. The government had increased land revenue by about 22% (later estimated close to 30%), which peasants considered unjust.
Therefore, option (3) is the correct answer.
Latest UPSC Exam 2026 Updates
Last updated on June, 2026