Which one of the following about the Swadeshi Campaign in 1896 is not correct ?
Its centre was Maharashtra
Its main participants were students
It opposed the levy of tariff on imports
It publicly burnt foreign clothes
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2017
The Swadeshi campaign aimed at promoting Indian goods and industries and boycotting foreign goods. The economic logic behind this was to protect nascent Indian industries from foreign competition. Therefore, a Swadeshi campaign would generally support measures that make foreign goods more expensive, such as the levy of tariffs on imports. Opposing the levy of tariffs on imports would make foreign goods cheaper and undermine the objective of promoting Swadeshi industries. The Swadeshi spirit, especially in the 1890s context (e.g., cotton excise duties agitation), involved demanding protection for Indian industries. Thus, statement C, which claims it opposed the levy of tariff on imports, is incorrect.
Swadeshi movement fundamentally advocated for the use of domestically produced goods and the boycott of foreign goods, often implying a stance in favour of protective tariffs on imports to benefit Indian industries.