Centenary of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das's Death
Why focus: NCERT Class 12 Modern India — CR Das and Swaraj Party 100-year death anniversary makes this a near-guaranteed Prelims History target.
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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BEFORE: Following the Non-Cooperation Movement's halt, the mainstream Congress pursued a strict boycott of legislative councils in favor of grassroots constructive work. NOW: The Swaraj Party, led by C.R. Das, successfully contested elections to enter the councils and systematically obstruct British colonial policies from within.
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BEFORE: Political representation and government jobs in early 1920s Bengal were heavily skewed, leading to severe communal friction between Hindus and Muslims. NOW: C.R. Das negotiated the Bengal Pact of 1923, promising Muslims representation proportional to their population in the Bengal Legislative Council, which temporarily eased communal tensions and forged a united political front.
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BEFORE: Aurobindo Ghosh faced severe penalties, including potential execution, for his alleged role in the 1908 Alipore Bomb Conspiracy Case. NOW: C.R. Das's masterful and unpaid legal defense secured Aurobindo's complete acquittal, cementing Das's reputation as a premier legal defender of Indian revolutionaries.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
Correct Statement(s)Which of the following statements regarding Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das is/are correct? 1. He presided over the 1922 Gaya session of the Indian National Congress, after which he resigned to form the Swaraj Party. 2. He brokered the Bengal Pact in 1923 to ensure proportional political representation for Muslims in Bengal.