Question 1

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Early nationalists, particularly the Moderates, generally did not support the Factory Acts of 1881 and 1891.

Statement-II: The Moderates prioritized national unity across classes and feared that labour legislation would undermine the competitiveness of nascent Indian-owned industries against British capital.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Statement-I is correct. The early Moderate nationalists were largely indifferent to the labour cause and opposed the Factory Acts of 1881 and 1891. Statement-II is also correct and provides the precise reasoning for this stance. The Moderates believed that such laws would hamper the competitive ability of Indian-owned factories and also sought to avoid creating class-based divisions within the broader nationalist movement.

Question 2

Consider the following statements regarding early efforts in the Indian working-class movement:

1. Sasipada Banerjea started the newspaper *Deenbandhu* in 1870.
2. The first major strike by the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, which received widespread support, occurred in 1899.
3. Sorabjee Shapoorji Bengalee successfully passed a bill in the Bombay Legislative Council in 1878 to improve labour's working conditions.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. Sasipada Banerjea started the newspaper *Bharat Shramjeevi*. The newspaper *Deenbandhu* was started by Narayan Meghajee Lokhande in 1880. Statement 2 is correct. The first strike by the Great Indian Peninsular Railway took place in 1899 and was extensively supported, with Tilak's newspapers campaigning for it. Statement 3 is incorrect. Sorabjee Shapoorji Bengalee *tried* to get a bill passed in the Bombay Legislative Council, but the effort was not stated to be successful. Therefore, only one statement is correct.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC):
1. Lala Lajpat Rai, its first president, was among the first to articulate the link between capitalism and imperialism.
2. In its initial phase, the AITUC was influenced by the Gandhian philosophy of class struggle and the social democratic ideas of the British Labour Party.
3. C.R. Das, who presided over the Gaya session of the Congress in 1922, was the first general secretary of the AITUC.

Accepted Answer

Only one. The final count is one.

1. **Statement 1 is correct.** Lala Lajpat Rai, the first president of the AITUC, was a key figure in articulating the connection between the economic exploitation of capitalism and the political subjugation of imperialism. In his presidential address, he famously stated, “imperialism and militarism are the twin children of capitalism.”

2. **Statement 2 is incorrect.** The Gandhian philosophy that influenced the labour movement was based on the principles of trusteeship and class-collaboration, not class struggle. The concept of class struggle was antithetical to Gandhian thought.

3. **Statement 3 is incorrect.** Dewan Chaman Lal was the first general secretary of the AITUC. C.R. Das, while a prominent nationalist leader who supported the labour cause, presided over the third and fourth sessions of the AITUC, but he was not its first general secretary.

Question 4

With reference to the Trade Union Act of 1926, consider the following provisions:
1. It conferred legal status upon registered trade unions.
2. It provided both civil and criminal immunity to trade unions for their legitimate activities.
3. It granted unrestricted freedom for political activities to registered trade unions.

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The Act recognised trade unions as legal associations. Statement 2 is correct. The Act secured immunity, both civil and criminal, for trade unions from prosecution for legitimate activities. Statement 3 is incorrect. The Act did not grant unrestricted freedom; on the contrary, it put some restrictions on the political activities of trade unions.

Question 5

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: C.R. Das, during his association with the AITUC, strongly advocated that the Indian National Congress should champion the cause of workers and peasants.
Statement-II: He reasoned that failing to incorporate these classes into the national struggle would lead to their isolation from the movement for swaraj.

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Statement-I is correct. The Gaya session of the Congress (1922) welcomed the AITUC's formation, and C.R. Das advocated that the Congress should take up the workers’ and peasants’ cause. Statement-II is also correct and provides the direct explanation for Statement-I. C.R. Das's rationale was that the Congress must incorporate these groups in the struggle for swaraj, or else they would become isolated from the national movement. Therefore, Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

Question 6

With reference to the Trade Disputes Act (TDA) of 1929, consider the following statements:
1. It made the appointment of Courts of Inquiry and Consultation Boards for settling industrial disputes compulsory.
2. It prohibited strikes in public utility services unless a one-month advance notice was given by each worker.
3. It forbade all forms of sympathetic strikes and any trade union activity of a purely political nature.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

All three. Statement 1 is correct. The Trade Disputes Act, 1929, made the appointment of Courts of Inquiry and Consultation Boards mandatory for the purpose of settling industrial disputes. Statement 2 is correct. The Act made strikes in public utility services, such as posts, railways, water, and electricity, illegal unless each individual worker intending to strike provided an advance notice of one month to the administration. Statement 3 is correct. The Act explicitly forbade trade union activities that were coercive or purely political in nature, and it also outlawed sympathetic strikes.

Question 7

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The Indian working-class movement experienced a significant decline after 1931.
Statement-II: The decline was precipitated by a split in the AITUC in 1931, where the communist faction led by leaders like S.A. Dange broke away to form a separate federation.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect. Statement-I is correct. There was a discernible dip in the working-class movement after 1931. Statement-II is incorrect. While a split in the AITUC in 1931 did cause this decline, it was not the communist faction that broke away. The split was caused by the corporatist trend, led by N.M. Joshi, which separated to establish the All India Trade Union Federation. The communists, in fact, rejoined the AITUC in 1935.

Question 8

Consider the following statements regarding the role of workers and political groups during the 1937-1947 period:
1. The Congress ministries formed after the 1937 elections were generally unsympathetic to the demands of the workers.
2. After Russia joined the Allies in 1941, the communists dissociated themselves from the Quit India Movement.
3. In the period 1945-47, dock workers in Bombay and Calcutta went on strike in support of the Naval Ratings.

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The Congress ministries formed after the 1937 elections were generally sympathetic to workers’ demands and passed several favourable legislations. Statement 2 is correct. After Russia joined the war on behalf of the Allies in 1941, the communists termed the conflict a “peoples’ war,” supported the war effort, and consequently dissociated themselves from the Quit India Movement. Statement 3 is incorrect. The text specifies two distinct events: in 1945, the dock workers refused to load ships for troops in Indonesia, whereas in 1946, workers went on strike in support of the Naval Ratings.

Question 9

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: In the initial phase of the Second World War, the communists opposed it, but their stance changed significantly after 1941.
Statement-II: The communists began to advocate a policy of industrial peace and supported the Allied war effort because they considered it a “peoples’ war” following Russia's entry.

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Statement-I is correct. The workers, including communists, initially opposed the Second World War. However, their position changed after 1941. Statement-II is also correct. The trigger for this change was Russia joining the war on the side of the Allies. This led the communists to re-characterize the war as a “peoples’ war.” Consequently, they supported the war effort and promoted industrial peace to avoid disrupting it. Therefore, Statement-II provides the precise ideological reason for the shift described in Statement-I.

Question 10

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: The final year of British colonial rule witnessed widespread strikes by workers in critical establishments like posts and railways.

Statement-II: This wave of industrial action was driven by the unification of the entire working-class movement under a single, cohesive political ideology.

Accepted Answer

Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect. Statement-I is correct. The period immediately preceding independence, described as the last year of foreign rule, was marked by significant labour unrest, including strikes affecting posts, railways, and other establishments. Statement-II is incorrect. The working-class movement did not unify under a single political ideology; on the contrary, it became associated with 'various' political ideologies, reflecting the diverse and often competing political currents of the time.

Question 11

Consider the following statements regarding the history of the working-class movement in India:

1. The phase of labour activism linked to the Swadeshi Movement chronologically preceded the phase associated with the First World War.
2. Major strikes involving workers from posts and railways were characteristic of the 'Early Efforts' phase of the movement.
3. The alignment of the working-class movement with a variety of political ideologies was a notable feature of the period after the Second World War.

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The historical timeline of nationalist and labour movements places the Swadeshi Movement (peaking around 1905-1908) before the First World War (1914-1918). Statement 2 is incorrect. The specified widespread strikes in sectors like posts and railways occurred 'During the last year of foreign rule,' which corresponds to the post-Second World War period, not the initial 'Early Efforts' phase. Statement 3 is correct. The text links the association with 'various political ideologies' to the events of the 'last year of foreign rule,' which is the period immediately following the end of the Second World War (1939-1945).

The Movement of the Working Class

Unlock All Questions