“Tribal peasants interpreted the message of Mahatma Gandhi and the idea of swaraj in another way and participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement differently.” Justify the statement.
Answer
- Like all other local uprisings, tribal people rebelled against the exploitative policies of the British. The government had closed forest lands for the locals, depriving them of their livelihood and traditional rights.
- Tribal peasants participated in the Non-cooperation movement under the leadership of Alluri Sitaram Raju , in the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh.
- Although they acknowledged the greatness of Mahatma Gandhi , and persuaded people to wear khadi and give up drinking , they did not adopt the idea of swaraj as preached by him .
- They believed the use of force to be the only means of India’s liberation . As a result, they attacked police stations, attempted to kill British officials, and resorted to guerrilla warfare to attain their goals.
- These tactics were a deviation from Mahatma Gandhi’s message of nonviolence and truth.
