With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements :
- 1.Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of 'indentured labour'.
- 2.In Lord Chelmsford's 'War Conference', Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.
- 3.Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: B. Statement 1 is correct: Gandhi campaigned against indentured labour; recruitment of Indian indentured workers was stopped in 1917 and the system was formally ended in 1920. Statement 2 is wrong: at Lord Chelmsford's War Conference in Delhi (April 1918), Gandhi supported the resolution on recruiting Indians. Statement 3 is correct: during the Civil Disobedience Movement that began with the Salt March, the government declared the Congress Working Committee illegal in 1930. So 1 and 3 only.
Watch for: Students assume the non-violent Gandhi opposed war recruitment, but in 1918 he backed it hoping for self-rule in return.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because Gandhi actually supported recruitment at the War Conference.
- C. Wrong because statement 2 is false.
- D. Wrong because statement 2 is false.
Source to check: Bipan Chandra, India's Struggle for Independence, chapters on Gandhi's early career and the Civil Disobedience Movement; M. K. Gandhi, An Autobiography, Part V
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.