The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for (2013)
a)the reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of the crop to one-third
b) the grant of ownership of land to peasants as they were the actual cultivators of the land
c) the uprooting of Zamindari system and the end of serfdom
d)writing off all peasant debts
Answer: A
- The Tebhaga movement was led by the sharecroppers of the Bengal region against the oppressive jotedars in 1946-47.
- The uprising was due to the share cropping system that prevailed in Bengal. During the early nineteen century a new class of rich peasants known as jotedars emerged in the Bengal region.
- The jotedars collected huge tracts of land in rural areas. They also controlled the local markets, money lending activities, exercised control over the poor cultivators.
- In rural villages these jotedars exercised more control than the Zamindars, who often lived in urban areas. The large agricultural areas under the jotedars were cultivated through sharecroppers (also known as bhagadars), who handed over half of the crop after the harvest to the jotedars.
- The jotedars were mainly concentrated in North Bengal, whereas in other parts of Bengal they are known as haoladars, gantidars, or mandals.
- In late 1946, the bhagadars challenged the prevailing system of sharecropping.
- They asserted that they would not pay half of the produce but only one-third of the produce and also before the share of the produce, it should be stored in their godowns (also called as khamars) and not that of jotedars.
- The sharecroppers were encouraged by the Floud Commission which had already recommended their demand to the government.
- The movement was led by the All India Kisan Sabha, the peasant wing of CPI.
