Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct?
Last updated Jun 5, 2026
Correct Answer:
Option C —
The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
The Bardoli Satyagraha (1928, Gujarat): This movement was launched under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel specifically to protest the Bombay colonial government's arbitrary decision to increase land revenue by 22% in the Bardoli taluka during a period of severe agricultural distress.
The Eka Movement (1921–1922, Awadh/UP): Also known as the Unity Movement, this was a peasant uprising triggered by the oppressive demands of local landlords (taluqdars and zamindars). The landlords were extracting exorbitant rents that were 50% higher than the officially recorded rates, alongside illegal cesses (nazrana). The peasants took a ritual vow (Eka) to pay only the recorded, lawful rent.
Why other options are incorrect:
(a) is incorrect: It reverses the relationship with the Congress. The Bardoli Satyagraha was fully aligned with mainstream Congress methods, heavily guided by Mahatma Gandhi's principles, and led by senior Congress leader Vallabhbhai Patel. Conversely, while the Eka Movement originally grew out of the Congress-led Non-Cooperation and Khilafat frameworks, it quickly turned radical, adopted independent militant postures, and was eventually distanced by the Congress leadership.
(b) is incorrect: The taluqdars of Awadh were the oppressors in the Eka Movement, not its leaders; the movement was led by a charismatic lower-caste leader named Madari Pasi. Meanwhile, the Bardoli Satyagraha was led by prosperous, land-owning peasants (Patidars), rather than landless laborers.
(d) is incorrect: The geographic locations are wrong. The Eka Movement was centered in the northern districts of Awadh (Hardoi, Bahraich, Sitapur, and Barabanki), not Varanasi or Mirzapur. The Bardoli Satyagraha took place in the Surat district of mainland Gujarat, not the Saurashtra peninsula.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
