A Journey Through Bombay’s Role in the Freedom Struggle

As an Indian citizen, this is a very special day in our country’s history, one that we at Raconteur celebrate each year with a dedicated walk tour to commemorate this iconic day.

This year marks 78 years since our nation won its freedom. Though the events and leaders that led up to this event are innumerable, we want to put a spotlight on our city’s journey during the fight for independence from British colonial rule. ‘Bombay’ (as we will refer to it pre-independence) has always been a city with great spirit and determination. Even pre-independence, the city was overflowing with patriotic fervor, making it a center stage for various political activities and events, and was home to influential leaders and revolutionaries for long periods of time.

• Dadabhai Naoroji was one of the earliest leaders to demand self-rule for the country. He was one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress and was influential in Bombay. Not only was he the first Indian, but also the first Asian to become a British member of Parliament.
• Mahatma Gandhi who was particularly impressed with the city’s patriotism, lived here for 17 years, between 1917-1934. He stayed at Mani Bhavan, a house that was owned by his friend Shri Revashankar Jagjeevan Jhaveri. From here he launched the Civil Disobedience movement, Satyagraha, Swadeshi, Khadi and Khilafat movements. Gandhiji also participated in the Congress Working Committee meetings while also making time to visit Harijan neighbourhoods throughout the city.
• The ‘Father of Indian Unrest’, Bal Gangadhar Tilak also used the city as a platform to spread his nationalist ideology through his newspapers- the Kesari and the Maratha.

Some of the other Bombay leaders who played important roles in the freedom struggle were Pherozshah Mehta, Morarji Desai, Lal Krishna Advani, Bhulabhai Desai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Mahadev Govind Ranade, B.R. Ambedkar, Macherjee Bhavnagree and the controversial Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Some of the Key Movements and Events:

• The freedom struggle became an organized movement with the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885. Its first ever session was held at the Gokuldas Tejpal Hall in our very own Bombay.
  

• The Swadeshi movement (1905-1911), the brainchild of Mahatma Gandhi was faithfully propagated in Bombay. The city saw intense protests and boycotts against British made goods.
• After the tragic massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, there were huge protests and demonstrations throughout Bombay, against the atrocities committed by the British.
• From his Bombay residence at Mani Bhavan in 1920, Gandhiji launched his Non-Cooperation movement against the British. He urged people to fight for ‘Swaraj’ or self-rule by peacefully not cooperating with the British government and its institutions. It turned into a nation-wide protest that encouraged people to boycott British made goods, institutions and services and to become self-reliant by promoting Swadeshi products like khadi.

• As Gandhiji undertook the famous ‘Dandi March’ in 1930 to oppose the new and unjust Salt tax, a group of his women followers in Bombay led by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, marched to Chowpatty beach and started making salt from seawater using chulhas (portable stoves). This attracted many crowds and soon the police began arresting those gathered, but this only intensified the crowds. Later, the salt was sold in packets outside the Bombay Stock Exchange. Leaders like Sarojini Naidu urged people to make their own salt and boycott the British government’s salt. Thus, Bombay played an important role in the Salt Satyagraha during the freedom struggle.
• After the failure of the Cripps’s Mission, Gandhiji felt it was imperative to launch a nationwide movement- The Quit India Movement. This was decided at the meeting of the All India Congress Committee on 8^th August 1942, held at Gowalia Tank Maidan, which came to be known as August Kranti Maidan. In his stirring speech, Gandhiji demanded the end of servitude and complete freedom from British rule. His mantra to ‘Do or Die’ spread like wildfire across the nation. The following arrests of prominent national leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Sarojini Naidu and Rajendra Prasad led to mass protests in Bombay and the country.

• The Royal Indian Navy Mutiny of 1946 was a significant event in the Freedom Struggle. The large-scale mutiny was caused by poor living conditions, racial discrimination and the demand for better pay and treatment. It began aboard the HMIS Talwar in Bombay and soon spread to other ships and establishments in Bombay and beyond. Although the British suppressed the revolt, it highlighted the discontent within the armed forces, and the growing desire for independence. The revolt significantly increased the pressure on Britain to grant India her freedom.

Also noteworthy is the role played by college students of British established colleges in the city. Ironically, these colleges were set up by the British to educate students in their laws and ways, to prepare them for jobs in the British government and its institutions. But this education only highlighted to the students the discrimination and inequality they were facing in their own country. This realization, clubbed with nationalist movements in the city by prominent leaders, fueled their patriotism. The student community in many parts of the country, especially Bombay, participated in numerous nationalist movements, by engaging in peaceful, non-violent protests. Students from various colleges in Bombay like Khalsa College, Elphinstone College, St. Xavier’s College, Grant Medical College, Wilson College and Sydenham College actively participated in the freedom movement and distributed leaflets containing revolutionary slogans and messages. Following the arrests of prominent leaders like Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Sarojini Naidu, Tilak etc. the student community received active support from Yusuf Meherali and Shankarrao Deo.

Since colonial times, Bombay’s journey through history has been a long one. From being an inconspicuous collection of seven islands, to being colonized and introduced to industry, development and education. That very education, coupled with second class treatment and oppression, became a potent cocktail which led the city to become intolerant and passionate towards the freedom cause. One cannot deny the very significant role it played in our fight for freedom.