CHAPTER/THEME-13: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT
CASE/SOURCE BASED QUESTIONS
1. Read the passage given below and answer the following questions.
The problem with separate electorates
At the Round Table Conference Mahatma Gandhi started his arguments against separate electorates for the
Depressed Classes: Separate electorates to the “Untouchables” will ensure their bondage in perpetuity … Do
you want the “Untouchables” to remain “Untouchables” forever? Well, the separate electorates would
perpetuate the stigma. What is needed is destruction of “Untouchability”, and when you have done it, the bar
sinister, which has been imposed by an insolent “superior” class upon an “inferior” class, will be destroyed.
When you have destroyed the bar sinister to whom will you give the separate electorates?
Q1. Where was the Round Table Conference held?
(A) Germany (B) London (C) Singapore (D) South Africa
Q2. At the Round Table Conference Who stated his arguments against separate electorates for the Depressed
Classes.
(A) Lala Lajpat Rai (B) Subhash Chandra Bose
(C) Mahatma Gandhi (D) Mahadev Govind Ranade
Q3. Who demanded Separate Electorate for the Untouchables?
(A) Subhas Chandra Bose (B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (C) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (D) None of these
Q4. When was the First round table Conference held ?
(A) 1928 (B) 1929 (C) 1930 (D) 1931
2. Why the salt satyagraha?
Why was salt the symbol of protest? This is what Mahatma Gandhi wrote:
The volume of information being gained daily shows how wickedly the salt tax has been designed. In order
to prevent the use of salt that has not paid the tax which is at times even fourteen times its value, the
Government destroys the salt it can not sell profitably. Thus it taxes the nation’s vital necessity; it prevents
the public from manufacturing it and destroys what nature manufactures without effort. No adjective is
strong enough for characterizing this . wicked dog-in-the-manger policy. From various sources I hear tales of
such wanton destruction of the nation’s property in all parts of India. Mounds, if not tons of salt, are said to
be destroyed on the Konkan coast. The same tale comes from Dandi. Wherever there is likelihood of natural
salt being taken away by the people living in the neighbourhood areas for their personal use, salt officers are
posted for the sole purpose of carrying on destruction. Thus valuable national property is destroyed at
national expense and salt taken out of the mouths of the people. The salt monopoly is thus a fourfold curse.
It deprives the people of a valuable easy village industry, involves wanton destruction of property that the
nation produces in abundance, the destruction itself means more national expenditure, and fourthly, to crown
his folly, and unheard of takes of more than 1,000 per cent is exacted from a starving people. This tax has
remained so long because of the apathy of the general public. Now that it is sufficiently roused, the tax has
to go. How soon it will be abolished depends upon the strength of the people.
Q1. Who announced that he would lead a march to break one of the most widely disliked laws in British
India ?
(A) Jawahar Lal Nehru (B) Mahatma Gandhi (C) Mahadev Desai (D) Subhas Chandra Bose
Q2. Dandi is located in Which State?
(A) Bihar (B) Rajasthan (C) Gujarat (D) Maharashtra
Q3. Gandhiji started the Dandi march to break the _____ law.
(A) Agriculture (B) Trade (C) Salt (D) Transport
Q4. Dandi March brought forward?
(A) Non cooperation Movement (B) Civil disobedience Movement
(C) Quit India Movement (D) Rowlatt Satyagraha
3. Ambedkar on separate electorates
In response to Mahatma Gandhi’s opposition to the demand for separate electorates for the Depressed
Classes, Ambedkar wrote.:
Here is a Class which is undoubtedly not in a position to sustain itself in the struggle for existence. The
religion, to which they are tied, instead of providing them an honourable place, brands them as lepers, not fit
for ordinary intercourse. Economically, it is a class entirely dependent upon the high caste Hindus for earning
its daily bread with no independent way of living open to it. Nor are all ways closed by reason of the social
prejudices of the Hindus but there is a definite attempt all through our Hindu Society to bolt every possible
door so as not to allow the Depressed Classes any opportunity to rise in the scale of life.In these
circumstances, it would be granted by all fair-minded persons that as the only path for a community so
handicapped to succeed in the struggle for life against organised tyranny, some share of political power in
order that it may protect itself is a paramount necessity.
Q1. When was the poona pact signed?
(A) September 1931 (B) September 1932 (C) August 1932 (D) August 1931
Q2. Who was the founder of the depressed class association?
(A) Mahatma Gandhi (B) Pt. Jawahar lal Nehru
(C) Dr. B. R.Ambedkar (D) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Q3. The purpose of poona pact was:-
(A) Hindu-Muslim unity (B) Representation to untouchables
(C) Reconsideration of dyarchy (D) Simon Commission Report
Q4. Who among the following issued communal award:-
(A) Ramsay Macdonald (B) Stanley (C) Winton Churchill (D) Chamberlain
4. Tomorrow we shall break the salt tax law”
On 5th April, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi spoke at Dandi
When I left Sabarmati with my companions for this seaside hamlet of Dandi, I was not certain in my mind
that we would be allowed to reach this place. Even while I was at Sabarmati there was a rumour that I might
be arrested. I had thought that the government might perhaps let my party come as far as Dandi, but not me
certainly. If someone says that this betrays imperfect faith on my part, I shall not deny the charge. That I
have reached here is in no small measure due to the power of peace and non-violence: that power is
universally felt. The government may, if it wishes, congratulate itself on acting as it has done, or it could
have arrested every one of us. In saying that it did not have the courage to arrest this army of peace, we
praise it. It felt shameful to arrest such an army. He is a civilised man who feels ashamed to do anything
which his neighbours would disapprove of. The government deserves to be congratulated on not arresting us,
even if it desisted only from fear of world opinion. Tomorrow we shall break the salt tax law. Whether the
government will tolerate that is a different question. It may not tolerate it, but it deserves congratulations on
the patience and forbearance it has displayed in regard to this party… What if I and all the eminent leaders in
Gujarat and in the rest of the country are arrested? This movement is based on the faith that when a whole
nation is roused and on the march no leader is necessary.
Q1. What was the reason behind the chosen salt as a symbol of Civil Disobedience movement:-
(A) Salt is used by the each and everyone without discrimination (B) salt was coastally
(C) The British Govt had monopoly in making salt. (D) Both A & C
Q2. Dandi March started from :
(A) Ahmedabad (B) Wardha Ashram (C) Sabarmati Ashram (D) Pune
Q3. Which Sections of society participated in Dandi march:-
(A) Women (B)Youth (C) Peasants (D) All of these
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Q4. By which pact 1 Phase of civil disobedience movement was ended:-
(A) Gandhi-Irwin Pact (B) First round table conference (C) Lucknow Pact (D) Poona Pact
5. What I object to, is the craze for machinery as such. The craze is for what they call labour saving
machinery. Men go on “saving labour”, till thousands are without work and thrown on the open streets to die
of starvation. I want to save time and labour, not for a fraction of mankind, but for all; I want the
concentration of wealth, not in the hands of few, but in the hands of all.
Q1. Whose words are these?
(A)Mahatma Gandhi (B) Jawaharlal Nehru
(C) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (D) Maulana Abdul Kalam
Q2. In which context have these words been said?
(A) Popularising the Dandi March (B) Popularising use of white clothes
(C) Popularising use of charkha (D) Popularising use of Indian Railways to spread nationalism
Q 3. What was his aim as referred to in this passage?
(A) Making poor self-reliant (B) Providing poor with supplementary income
(C) Using machinery for the service of the poor . (D) All of these
Q4. This shows that the speaker was in favour of
(A) Socialism (B) Capitalism (C) Communism (D) All of these
ANSWER KEY - CASE/SOURCE BASED QUESTIONS
1 1.(B) LONDON
2.(C) MAHATMA GANDHI
3.C) DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR
4.(C)1930
2 1.(B) MAHATMA GANDHI
2.(C) GUJARAT
3.(C) SALT
4.(B)CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT
3. 1-B
2-C
3-B
4-A
4. 1- D
2- C
3- D
4- A
5. 1- A
2- C
3- D
4- A
