Who among the following said, "The Rowlatt Act is a preventive murder"?
- AOption (a)
JB Kripalani
- BOption (b)
Edwin Samuel Montagu
- COption (c)
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- DOption (d)
Rajendra Prasad
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Correct answer
Edwin Samuel Montagu
Why this answer is correct
The correct answer is Edwin Samuel Montagu.
Key Points
- Edwin Samuel Montagu was a British Liberal politician.
- He served as the Secretary of State for India from 1917 to 1922.
- Montagu was known for his progressive views on Indian self-governance and played a significant role in the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms.
- He famously criticized the Rowlatt Act, referring to it as "preventive murder".
Additional Information
- Rowlatt Act
- The Rowlatt Act, officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was a legislative act passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in British India.
- It gave the colonial government enormous powers to suppress subversive activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
- This act was widely opposed by Indian leaders, leading to a nationwide protest known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi.
- The act was eventually repealed in 1922 due to widespread public outrage and opposition.
- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
- The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were introduced by Edwin Montagu and Lord Chelmsford in 1919.
- The reforms aimed to introduce self-governing institutions gradually to India.
- They led to the Government of India Act 1919, which expanded the participation of Indians in the governance of their country.
- The reforms also introduced a dual system of governance known as 'dyarchy' in the provinces.