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

Correct Answer: C

Why Option C is correct: Option C accurately differentiates the core grievances of both agrarian movements.

• Bardoli Satyagraha (1928): Led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, this was a no-tax movement directly protesting the Bombay Presidency's unjust 22% enhancement of land revenue. The movement successfully pressured the government into launching the Maxwell-Broomfield Commission, which ultimately reduced the tax hike to 6.03%.
• Eka Movement (1921–1922): Also known as the Unity Movement, this agrarian revolt erupted in the Awadh region of the United Provinces. Its primary grievance was the excessive extraction of rents by taluqdars (landlords) and thekedars (contractors). Rents were often exacted at 50% above the recorded rates, alongside the oppressive practice of begar (forced labour).

Why the other options are incorrect:

• Option A is incorrect: While the Eka Movement was initially supported by Congress and Khilafat leaders, it soon drifted out of their control when leadership passed to Madari Pasi, who did not strictly adhere to Gandhian non-violence. Conversely, the Bardoli Satyagraha was meticulously organized under Congress leadership from the start.
• Option B is incorrect: The Eka Movement was a grassroots uprising against the exploitative taluqdars and zamindars, not led by them. The Bardoli Satyagraha was primarily a movement of land-owning peasant castes (such as Patidars) resisting government taxation, rather than an exclusive uprising of landless labourers.
• Option D is incorrect: The Eka Movement was heavily concentrated in the Awadh districts of Hardoi, Bahraich, and Sitapur, not Varanasi and Mirzapur. The Bardoli Satyagraha occurred in the Surat district of South Gujarat, not the Saurashtra region.

Concluding Takeaway: To remember the core distinction, use the mnemonic "BR-ER": Bardoli was a protest against Revenue (tax owed to the colonial state), while Eka was a protest against Rent (dues owed to local landlords).