Role of Students in Indian Independence Movement

Role of Students in Indian Independence Movement Students of India had played big role at the national movement of the country.

On the eve of Independence Day Collegedekho.com looks back the role of students in freedom Struggle.

• For the first time students took part in large number in freedom movement when Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in 1905. The youths were mainly behind the Indian National Congress at that time.

• When the Congress was split in its Lahore Session in 1907, in its Lahore Session in 1907, the students also distributed between these groups. They rallied round the leadership of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and later on, of Mahatma Gandhiji. Under the leadership and guidance of Gandhiji the students became a formidable force in India.

• When Gandhiji launched his campaign against Rowlatt Act (1919), the Jallianwalla Bagh atrocities in 1919 in which the students had taken part in a big number.

• Gandhiji called the students to withdraw from schools and colleges and students of all over the country responded promptly and they in big number boycotted schools and colleges. For the first time, the student force was organised and mobilised against the British rule.

• In 1920, the First All-India Students’ Conference was Weld in Nagpur under the President ship of Lala Lajpat Rai. Students could now get the support and guidance of leader like, Subhas Chandra Bose and others. • Students also played a vital role in various campaigns launched by Gandhiji against the British such as — the ‘No Tax’ Campaign 1921, the Civil Disobedience Move­ment, the Dandi Satyagraha of 1930, etc.

• Students also participated in programmes such as — removal of untouchability and casteism, adult education, popularising the ‘Swadeshi’ articles and the use of ‘Khadi’, cleaning of the villages, promotion of communal harmony, and so on.

• In 1936, The All-India Students’ Federation, the first student organisation of India, was born in order to support the Indian National Congress in its struggles. • All India Students’ Federation was divided into two factions (in 1938) such as — the All-Indian Youth Congress and All-India Students’ Federation (AISF).

• Students had active role in ‘Quit India’ Movement launched by the Indian National Congress under the Leadership of Gandhiji. It was almost the climax of the youth movement. They boycotted the schools and colleges in large number. They organized mass proces­sions and rallies in the towns and cities all over the country.

• A few section of the students took to some violent actions to paralyse the British administration by cutting telephone wires, blocking transport routes, destroying public property, disturbing postal, police, banking and other services. Thereby they brought the government machinery to a stand­still.

• Several student had been imprisoned and faced physical harassment and some of them were killed in police firings also.