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

Correct Option

The correct option is 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.

Explanation

The Eka Movement (Unity Movement) and the Bardoli Satyagraha represent two distinct phases and methodologies of peasant mobilization in colonial India, differing in their geographical location, leadership, and specific economic grievances.

• Statement A is Incorrect: The Eka Movement (1921-22) initially surfaced under the umbrella of the Non-Cooperation Movement with Congress and Khilafat leadership. However, it soon developed an independent character and moved away from the Congress's non-violent creed, leading to a loss of official Congress support. Conversely, the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) was meticulously organized under the leadership of Vallabhbhai Patel with the full backing and organizational framework of the Congress from its inception.
• Statement B is Incorrect: The Eka Movement was a movement of small tenants and peasants against the oppression of taluqdars and zamindars; it was not led by them. Madari Pasi, a leader from a lower-caste background, was its prominent figure. The Bardoli Satyagraha was primarily a movement of land-owning peasants (Patidars) and supported by the Kaliparaj (landless laborers), but it was not exclusively a movement of landless laborers.
• Statement C is Correct: The Bardoli Satyagraha was triggered by the Bombay Presidency government's decision to increase land revenue by 22% (later reduced). It was a "no-tax" campaign against the state. The Eka Movement in Awadh was primarily directed against the taluqdars for extracting rents that were 50% higher than the recorded rates, the practice of nazrana (extractions), and begar (forced labor).
• Statement D is Incorrect: The Eka Movement was centered in the northern districts of Awadh, specifically Hardoi, Bahraich, and Sitapur. The Bardoli Satyagraha took place in the Bardoli taluka of Surat district in Gujarat, not in the Saurashtra region.

Key Takeaway: The Eka Movement was an agrarian protest against landlord (taluqdar) exploitation in Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a disciplined non-tax campaign against British colonial revenue enhancement in Gujarat.