What was the common demand among the jute workers in Kolkata and workers of the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in Chennai, and workers from Ahmedabad?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 50% increase of wages
Option (3) 50% increase of wages — Correct. Rising prices brought a wave of strikes in 1917: jute workers in Calcutta struck work, the workers of the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in Madras struck work demanding an increase in wages, and the textile workers of Ahmedabad struck work for an increase in wages by 50 per cent.
Note: NCERT gives the figure of 50 per cent only for the textile workers of Ahmedabad. For the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills workers of Madras it says only that they demanded an increase in wages, and for the jute workers of Calcutta only that they struck work. The answer is marked as per the NTA answer key, which takes the 50 per cent wage demand as the common one.
NCERT (2025-26): “Workers’ Movements … There were food shortage and sharp increase in prices. There were waves of strikes in the textile mills in Bombay. In September and October 1917 there were around 30 recorded strikes. Jute workers in Calcutta struck work. In Madras, the workers of Buchingham and Carnatic Mills (Binny’s) struck work demanding increase in wages. Textile workers in Ahmedabad struck work for increase in wages by 50 per cent (Bhowmick 2004).” |