UPSC Prelims 2026 · Question 19 of 96

UPSC Prelims 2026 question on Eka Movement Bardoli Satyagraha

Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct?

  1. The Eka Movement was throughout supported and organized by the Congress while Bardoli Satyagraha was initially independent of Congress influence and was only in the last stages supported by the Congress.
  2. The Eka Movement was provided leadership by the taluqdars of Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement of the landless labourers.
  3. The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
  4. The Eka Movement was located in the Varanasi and Mirzapur districts of the present-day U.P., while the Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Saurashtra.
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Answer: 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.

Analysis

The Bardoli Satyagraha was launched in the Bardoli taluq of Surat district in response to the British government's decision to increase land revenue by 30 per cent. Led by Vallabhbhai Patel, the peasants collectively refused to pay the enhanced revenue demand and insisted on an impartial reassessment through an independent inquiry. The movement became a remarkable example of disciplined non-violent resistance and strengthened Patel's reputation as a mass leader, earning him the popular title 'Sardar'.

In contrast, the Eka Movement emerged in the Awadh region, particularly in the districts of Hardoi, Bahraich and Sitapur. The movement arose from widespread peasant grievances against exorbitant rents, exploitation by thekedars (revenue contractors) and the oppressive practice of share-rents. Under the banner of the 'Eka' or 'Unity' Movement, peasants took collective pledges to pay only the legally recorded rent and to resist unjust exactions imposed by landlords and intermediaries.

Statement by statement

Option (c) therefore correctly distinguishes the two: Bardoli targeted the enhancement of land revenue, while Eka targeted excessive extraction of rents. The other options misstate the leadership, the social base and the geography of the two movements.

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