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Question 55 of 69 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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In the Individual Satyagraha launched by the Congress in October 1940, the first satyagrahi was Vinoba Bhave. Who was the second?

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Answer: Option B — Jawaharlal Nehru

Detailed Solution

In the Individual Satyagraha launched by the Congress in October 1940, Vinoba Bhave was chosen by Gandhi as the first satyagrahi, and Jawaharlal Nehru was the second.

Background:

  • During the Second World War, the British government declared India a party to the war without consulting Indian leaders.
  • The Congress demanded a promise of independence and a national government in return for its cooperation in the war.
  • The British offer of 1940 was rejected by the Congress as inadequate.
  • Gandhi then decided to launch a limited satyagraha, so as not to embarrass the British too much during the war, but to assert the right of free speech against the war.

About the Individual Satyagraha:

  • It was "individual" because only selected individuals, chosen by Gandhi, were allowed to offer satyagraha, one by one, rather than a mass movement.
  • Each satyagrahi would make a speech against India's participation in the war, saying that it was wrong to help the British war effort with men or money, and would then court arrest.
  • The aim was to show that Indians did not support the war, and to assert the right of free speech.
  • Vinoba Bhave began the satyagraha at Paunar, near Wardha, on 17 October 1940, and was arrested.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested in October 1940, before he could offer satyagraha, and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment.

Progress:

  • By May 1941, about 25,000 satyagrahis had been arrested.
  • The movement was suspended in December 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the entry of the USA into the war, and the leaders were released.

About Vinoba Bhave:

  • He was a close disciple of Gandhi, known for his spiritual and constructive work.
  • After Independence, he started the Bhoodan (land gift) Movement in 1951, at Pochampally in Telangana.
  • He was the first recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1958) for community leadership, and was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously (1983).

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Patel, Rajagopalachari and Azad were not the second individual satyagrahi.

Quick tip

Remember: Individual Satyagraha (October 1940) = first Vinoba Bhave (Paunar, 17 October 1940), second Jawaharlal Nehru, suspended December 1941.

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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