With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the fol

With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements :

Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’.
In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.
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?

1 and 2 only

1 and 3 only

2 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2019

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Statement 1 is correct. Mahatma Gandhi was deeply involved in the campaign against the indentured labour system, having witnessed its harsh realities firsthand with Indian labourers in South Africa. His efforts contributed significantly to its abolition by the British government in 1917. Statement 2 is incorrect. In the Delhi War Conference of 1918, Mahatma Gandhi actually supported the resolution to recruit Indians for World War I, hoping that this cooperation would lead to political concessions from the British. Statement 3 is correct. Following the Dandi March and the breaking of the Salt Law in 1930, which marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement, the Indian National Congress was declared an illegal organization by the colonial authorities. Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct.

Gandhi opposed indentured labour, supported WWI recruitment initially, and INC was banned after the Salt Satyagraha.

The indentured labour system, often called the ‘new system of slavery’, saw Indian labourers transported to various British colonies (like Fiji, Mauritius, Caribbean) under coercive contracts. Gandhi’s support for WWI recruitment was a strategic move based on the principle of “cooperation to secure cooperation,” a strategy he later abandoned as British promises of self-rule proved elusive. The declaration of INC as illegal led to widespread arrests of leaders and members during the Civil Disobedience Movement.

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