1. It warned against the Colonial States’ hypnotic conquest of the mind.
2. It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs.
3. The use of ‘desh’ by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: a
Explanation:
In Maharashtra, Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar popularised the ideas of Naoroji and Ranade and promoted swadeshi in a popular idiom.
His text, titled Desher Katha (Story of the Nation/ Country), warned against the colonial state’s ‘hypnotic conquest of the mind’.
By the time Desher Katha was banned by the colonial state in 1910, it had sold over 15,000 copies, inspired swadeshi street plays and folk songs, and had become a mandatory text for an entire generation of swadeshi activists.
Hence, option a is correct.
Read: Previous Year UPSC History Questions (PYQs) With Explanation 2020