Eka Movement in United Provinces

The Eka Movement, or Unity Movement, emerged towards the end of 1921 in the northern districts of Awadh within the United Provinces. Operating across Hardoi, Bahraich, Sitapur, Barabanki, Lucknow, and Unnao, it mobilized tenant farmers and small landholders against excessive land revenue, forced labor, and extortionate rent practices. Initially backed by local units of the Indian National Congress and the Khilafat Committee, the agitation transformed as local agrarian leaders took charge. Its leadership shifted to Madari Pasi, who steered the movement toward radical tactics independent of urban nationalist control.

Background and Causes

Agrarian Hierarchy in Awadh

The agrarian structure of the Awadh region relied on a hierarchical system dominated by Taluqdars and Zamindars. These landholders leased agricultural plots to tenant farmers without providing secure land ownership rights. The British colonial state demanded heavy land revenue, which landlords passed onto tenants through arbitrary levies.

Core Grievances of Peasants

Tenants faced severe financial pressure due to excessive charges and lack of legal protection.

• Rents collected by landlords exceeded the officially recorded rent by over 50 percent in several areas.
• Landlords routinely demanded Nazrana, an arbitrary renewal fee or cash gift, from tenants seeking to retain their holdings.
• Intermediaries known as Thekedars employed coercive measures to extract rent and sharecropping produce.
• Peasants were subjected to Begar, or unpaid forced labor, and faced instant eviction upon failure to comply with landlord demands.

Course and Features of the Movement

The Religious Ritual and the Eka Pledge

The movement derived its name from the Hindi word Eka, meaning unity. Rural gatherings featured symbolic religious rituals designed to enforce social solidarity across caste and community lines.

• Peasant assemblies dug a symbolic pit representing the holy river Ganga and filled it with water.
• A village priest presided over the gathering while assembled farmers took a collective vow.
• Participants pledged to pay only the recorded official rent and demand written receipts for all payments.
• Vows included refusing to perform Begar, refusing to pay Nazrana, rejecting arbitrary eviction, and abiding strictly by village Panchayat decisions.
• Peasants resolved not to aid criminals and to maintain unity under all circumstances.

Shift in Leadership and Ideology

In early 1922, the nature of leadership changed as urban nationalist leaders stepped back.

• Madari Pasi, a leader from a marginalized caste background, assumed command of the movement alongside local leaders like Sahadev.
• Under Madari Pasi, the movement adopted militant tactics, organizing direct defiance against landlords and revenue collectors.
• The focus shifted from symbolic non-violent protests to active resistance and non-compliance.
• Congress leaders withdrew support due to the rejection of non-violence, leading to a split between urban nationalist politics and rural agrarian radicalism.

Response of the Colonial Administration

Legislative Reforms: Oudh Rent Amendment Act of 1921

To diffuse peasant anger, the government enacted the Oudh Rent Amendment Act of 1921, which came into effect in November 1921.

State Suppression

Concurrently with legislative concessions, the British government launched a military and police crackdown.

• The state deployed armed police forces and cavalry squadrons across the affected districts in early 1922.
• Mass arrests targeted key organizers, breaking the organizational network of village Eka Samitis.
• In March 1922, British authorities arrested Madari Pasi, effectively ending the organized phase of the movement by April 1922.

Key Facts for Quick Revision

• The movement was also known as the Unity Movement and lasted from November 1921 to April 1922.
• It was concentrated in the Awadh region of the United Provinces, covering Hardoi, Bahraich, Sitapur, Lucknow, Unnao, and Barabanki.
• Madari Pasi and Sahadev served as the primary grassroots leaders of the movement.
• Initial support came from the Indian National Congress and the Khilafat Committee before leadership shifted to local leaders.
• High rents exceeding 50 percent of recorded rates, illegal Nazrana, forced labor, and eviction threats triggered the revolt.
• Participants took oaths over a pit filled with water representing the River Ganga to cement communal and caste unity.
• Demand points included paying only recorded rent, demanding receipts, stopping forced labor, and enforcing Panchayat decisions.
• Legislative action resulted in the passage of the Oudh Rent Amendment Act of 1921.
• Mass arrests, the deployment of cavalry units, and the arrest of Madari Pasi in March 1922 led to the collapse of the agitation.