Coolie-Begar movement

Last updated

The Coolie-Begar or Coolie- Utar movement was a non-violent movement by the general public of Kumaun in the Bageshwar town of United Provinces in 1921. This movement was led by Hargovind Pant and Badri Datt Pandey, who were awarded the titles of 'Jannayak' and 'Kumaon Kesari' respectively after the success of this movement. The aim of this movement was to put pressure on the British to end the practice of Coolie-Begar. Mahatma Gandhi, while praising the movement, named it 'Bloodless Revolution'.

Contents

Introduction and reasons

‘Coolie Begar’ or ' Coolie-Utar' referred to the law requiring locals of the hill regions of Kumaun to provide free transportation for the luggage of travelling British officials. [1] It was the responsibility of the 'Village Head' of different villages, to make available a certain number of coolies for a certain period. [2] For this work, there was a regular register, in which the names of all the villagers were written and everyone was forced to do this work alternately. [3]

The dissatisfaction between the public, due to the collusion of the Village Heads, the landlords and the patwaris, and the discrimination between the people increased as the head and patwari of the village started promoting this virtue to get rid of their personal interests. Sometimes, people were also forced to do extremely disgusting things. Such as picking up garbage or washing clothes for the British etc. The locals were being exploited by the British physically and mentally. Eventually, people started to unite to protest against this.

History

The Chand rulers, during their reign, initiated a tax related to horses in the state. It was possibly the earliest form of the 'Coolie Begar' exploitation. This practice took a widespread form of governance under the rule of Gorkhas. [4] Though the British ended it initially, they gradually not only re-enforced this system, but brought it to its formidable form. [5] Earlier this was not on the general public, but on those salaried farmers who used to collect tax from the landowners or collectors. Hence, this practice directly influenced those tenants who owned land. But the reality was that these rich landlords and jurists had imposed their parts of slavery on landless farmers, laborers and weak sections of society who accepted it as conditional remuneration. Thus, this practice continued, despite the opposition of local people.

Background

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Haldwani, that was the gateway to the Kumaon area, was seized by the rebels of Rohilkhand. Though the British succeeded in crushing the rebellion in its infancy itself, the tension of suppression of that time sporadically flared into different forms of resistance from time to time. [6] There was also a dissatisfaction with the British's exploitation of the forests of Kumaon. [1]

Coolie Begar was made mandatory for the residents of Kumaon division in 1913. It was opposed everywhere; Badri Datt Pandey led the movement in Almora, while other leaders like Anusuya Prasad Bahuguna and Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant also played an active role in the Movement in Garhwal and Kashipur respectively. [7] Through his Almora Akhbar, Badri Datt Pandey started protesting against this evil. [8] In 1920, the annual Convention of the Congress was held in Nagpur. several leaders including Pt Govind Ballabh Pant, Badri Datt Pandey, Hargovind Pant, Victor Mohan Joshi, Shyam Lal Shah etc. attended the session, to take the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi for the Coolie Begar movement. [9] When they came back, they started raising awareness against this evil.

Movement

On 14 January 1921, on occasion of the Uttarayani fair, this movement was initiated from the grounds of Confluence (Bagad) of Saryu and Gomati. [10] [11] [12] Before the commencement of this movement, a notice was issued by the District Magistrate to Hargovind Pant, Lala Chiranjilal and Badri Datt Pandey, but it had no effect on them. [13] To participate in this movement, people from different villages came out to the fair ground, and turned it into a huge show. [14] The people first went to the Bagnath Temple to offer prayers, and then about 40 Thousand people went to Saryu Bagad, in front of the procession carrying a flag, with the words "End the Coolie Begar". After that, there was a meeting in Saryu Ground, Badri Datt Pandey, while addressing the gathering, took an oath saying, "Taking the water of the sacred Saryu, and with the Bagnath temple as a witness, we pledge that we will not tolerate 'Coolie Utar', 'Coolie Begar' and 'Coolie Burdayash' any more." All the people took this oath and the Village heads who had brought the 'record registers' with them, flung these registers into the confluence while raising slogans in praise of Bharat Mata. [15]

The then deputy commissioner of Almora district was also present in the crowd. Though he wanted to open fire on the crowd, he had to step back due to the lack of police force.

Aftermath

After the success of this movement, people gave the title of 'Jannayak' to Hargovind Pant and that of 'Kumaon Kesari' to Badri Datt Pandey. People not only supported the movement but also strictly followed it and continued to protest against this practice. The result was that the government was forced to end the tradition by bringing a bill in the House. [16] [17] Mahatma Gandhi was very impressed with this movement and paid a visit to Bageshwar and Kausani himself in 1929. [18] [19] He also established a Gandhi Ashram in Chanunda. After this, Gandhiji wrote about this movement in Young India stating "its effect was complete, it was a bloodless revolution." [20]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Coolie Begar and Forest Dissent.
  2. ↑ Dainik Jagran 13 January 2016
  3. ↑ Dainik Jagran 13 January 2016
  4. ↑ Pathak 1991
  5. ↑ Pathak 1991
  6. ↑ Dainik Jagran 17 May 2013
  7. ↑ Amar Ujala 10 September 2016
  8. ↑ Amar Ujala 15 August 2016
  9. ↑ Dainik Jagran 17 May 2013
  10. ↑ The Times of India 3 January 2015
  11. ↑ Amar Ujala 12 January 2014
  12. ↑ The Tribune 14 January 2014
  13. ↑ Dainik Jagran 13 January 2016
  14. ↑ Amar Ujala 12 January 2014
  15. ↑ Dainik Jagran 17 May 2013
  16. ↑ Amar Ujala 12 January 2014
  17. ↑ Amar Ujala 15 August 2016
  18. ↑ The Times of India 3 January 2015
  19. ↑ Dainik Jagran 13 January 2016
  20. ↑ The Times of India 3 January 2015

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumaoni language</span> Indo-Aryan language

Kumaoni is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by over two million people of the Kumaon region of the state of Uttarakhand in northern India and parts of Doti region in Western Nepal. As per 1961 survey there were 1,030,254 Kumaoni speakers in India. The number of speakers increased to 2.2 million in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Govind Ballabh Pant</span> Indian politician and freedom fighter

Govind Ballabh Pant was an Indian freedom fighter and the first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabh Bhai Patel, Pant was a key figure in the movement for India's Independence and later a pivotal figure in the Indian Government. He was one of the foremost political leaders of Uttar Pradesh and a key player in the unsuccessful movement to establish Hindi as the official language of Indian Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangolihat</span> Town in Uttarakhand, India

Gangolihat is a town in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India. It is the headquarters of an eponymous tehsil ~ one of the 12 revenue subdivisions of the Pithorarh district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chand kings</span> Medieval Indian Chandel dynasty of Kumaon

The Chand Dynasty, sometimes Chandel of Kumaon or Chand Kingdom, was a Hindu dynasty of Kumaon, which was established by displacing the Katyuri kings. The Chands ruled over the Kumaon and parts of the Farwestern Nepal called Doti. They belonged to the Somvanshi Chandel Yadava dynasty of Rajputs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bageshwar district</span> District of Uttarakhand in India

Bageshwar is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. The town of Bageshwar is the district headquarters. Prior to its establishment as a district in 1997 it was part of Almora district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bageshwar</span> Town in Uttarakhand, India

Bageshwar is a town and a municipal board in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 470 km from the National Capital New Delhi and 332 km from the State Capital Dehradun. Bageshwar is known for its scenic environment, glaciers, rivers and temples. It is also the administrative headquarters of Bageshwar district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almora</span> Town in Uttarakhand, India

Almora is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the Himalaya range. The Koshi (Kaushiki) and Suyal (Salmale) rivers flow along the city and snow-capped Himalayas can be seen in the background.

Chandola is a Brahmin surname of Garhwali and Kumaoni origin mostly used in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baijnath, Uttarakhand</span> Town in Uttarakhand, India

Baijnath is a small town on the banks of the Gomati river in the Bageshwar district in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, India. The place is most noted for its ancient temples, which have been recognized as Monuments of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India in Uttarakhand. Baijnath has been selected as one of the four places to be connected by the 'Shiva Heritage Circuit' in Kumaon, under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shekhar Pathak</span>

Dr. Shekhar Pathak is a historian, editor, publisher, activist, and traveller from Uttarakhand, India. He is known for his extensive knowledge of the history of colonial and postcolonial social movements and contemporary environmental and social issues in Uttarakhand, and colonial exploration in the Himalayas and Tibet. He has also been engaged in activism for various social and environmental causes since the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumaoni people</span> Ethnolinguistic group of India and Nepal

Kumaonis, also known as Kumaiye and Kumain, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak Kumaoni as their first-language and live mostly in Kumaon division in the state of Uttarakhand in India and parts of the Sudurpashchim Province in far western Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanda, Uttarakhand</span> Town in Uttarakhand, India

Kanda is a small historic town and tehsil in Bageshwar district, in the state of Uttarakhand, India.

Kapkot or Kapkote is a village in Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand, India. It houses the headquarters of Kapkot Tehsil, the largest administrative subdivision of Bageshwar district. It is known for being the last bus terminus on the route to Pindari Glacier. Kapkot is located almost 25 kilometres (16 mi) from its district headquarters at Bageshwar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagnath Temple</span> Hindu Temple in Uttarakhand

Bagnath Temple is an ancient shrine dedicated to Shiva, situated in the Bageshwar city at the confluence of Sarayu and Gomati rivers. Bagnath Temple is festooned with bells of all sizes and features impressive carvings. It is the most famous Temple in Bageshwar District. It is flooded with devotees on the occasion of Shivratri. The city of Bageshwar gets its name from this Temple.

The Uttarakhand movement refers to the events of statehood activism within the undivided state of Uttar Pradesh which ultimately resulted in the formation of Uttarakhand, India as a separate state. Uttarakhand became a state on 9 November 2000. The formation of Uttarakhand was achieved after a long struggle and many sacrifices. The demand to make Uttarakhand a state was first raised at a special session of the Indian National Congress held in Srinagar on 5-6 May 1938. The demand gradually strengthened following a series of events. In 1994, the demand for a separate state eventually took the form of a mass movement that resulted in the formation of India's 27th state by 2000. Jeet Bahadur Gurung became the first martyr in Pauri on 8 August 1994.

Pandit Badri Datt Pande was an Indian historian, freedom fighter, Social Reformer and subsequently, a Member of Parliament from Almora in independent India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarju</span> River in Uttarakhand, India

The Sarju, also known as Sarayu, is a major river draining Central Kumaon region in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Originating from Sarmul, Sarju flows through the cities of Kapkot, Bageshwar and Seraghat before joining Mahakali at Pancheshwar. The Sarju is the largest tributary of the Sharda River. The river forms the South-eastern border between the districts of Pithoragarh and Almora. Temperate and sub-Tropical forests cover the entire Catchment area of the River.

Mankot is a Village situated in Bageshwar district in the State of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) from Bageshwar on the National Highway 309A. Mankot is a medium-sized village with total 118 families residing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kautik International Student Film Festival</span>

Kautik International Student Film Festival is a 10-day competitive international student film festival, organised by CEFM-the Hermitage, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, in association with the Himalayan Society for Art, Culture, Education, Environment and Film Development (HIMACEEF) promoted by filmmakers/academicians Rajesh Shah and National Award winning documentary filmmaker Shalini Shah. The duo are film faculty members at the University. The festival is attended by students, theatre artistes, cinematographers, filmmakers and ministers.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.