HISTORY OF THE RARE BOYCOTT BRITISH GOODS LABELS

“BOYCOTT BRITISH GOODS “ AND “BUY SWADESHI” MOVEMENT

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LOKMANYA BAL GANGADHAR TILAK,BIPIN CHANDRA PAL, AND LALA LAJPAT RAI  ( POPUARLY KNOWN AS LAL,BAL,PAL) STARTED THE SWADESHI AND BOYCOTT MOVEMENT IN 1905 TO PROTEST AGAINST THE PARTITION OF BENGAL,BY THE VICEROY OF INDIA,LORD CURZON.

THIS CONTINUED TILL 1908.IT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFULL OF THE PRE-GANDHIAN MOVEMENTS OF INDIA.

 THE MAIN FEATURES OF" BOYCOTT" MOVEMENT AND "SWADESHI " MOVEMENT WERE THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND MAKE IT COLLAPSE.TO BOYCOTT BRITISH GOODS AND TO CREATE INDIA'S OWN .

MAHATMA RETURNED TO INDIA IN 1915,BUT WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH POLITICS,HE SUPPORTED LOCAL ISSUES OF THE MASSES.AND SLOWLY GAINED POPULARITY.

DURING THIS PERIOD HE WAS LOYAL TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, EVEN VOLUNTEERED

FOR RECRUITING SOLDIERS FOR THE 1^ST WORLD WAR.

THE JALLIANWALLAH BAGH MASSACRE,AND OTHER ISSUES MADE MAHATMA GANDHI THINK AND GO  AGAINST THE BRITISH.

HE JOINED THE BOYCOTT MOVEMENT IN 1920.

FOREIGN GOODS WERE BURNT AS PROTEST AND THE ADOPTION OF “ KHADI OR SWADESHI” WAS SPREAD AMONG THE MASSES.THE MOVEMENT WAS CALLED “SWADESHI ( MEANS OF ONE'S OWN COUNTRY)MOVEMENT.

IT GAINED MOMENTUM AND BECAME A GREAT SUCCESS.

THE PEOPLE  OF  INDIA WERE UNITED IN FIGHTING THE BRITISH .

PEOPLE WOULD GATHER AT CROSS SECTIONS OF ROADS AND BURNT FOREIGN GOODS,PLACES SELLING THEM WERE ALSO TARGETTED.

IN 1920 THROUGH  POSTERS PEOPLE WERE CALLED TO A MAIDAN NEAR ELPHINSTONE MILLS OPPOSITE ELPHINSTONE STATION,MUMBAI,REQUESTING THEM TO GET ALL THEIR BRITISH GOODS FOR THE GREAT BONFIRE

TO FURTHER SPREAD THE MOVEMENT, LABELS WERE PRINTED.

THEY WERE  PRINTED WITH 2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SLOGANS

1)     BOYCOTT BRITISH GOODS

2)     BUY SWADESHI.

THESE HAD NO VALUE ON IT,AND HENCE THEY COULD NOT BE USED AS POSTAL STAMPS.

THE BRITISH CAME TO KNOW ABOUT THEM AND THEY WERE BANNED.

THEY WERE DISTRIBUTED AMONGST THE MASSES,PEOPLE WOULD SEND IT ACROSS TO OTHER PEOPLE INSIDE POST COVERS,TO AVOID THE BRITISH.