The correct option is 2 only
Explanation
The Individual Satyagraha was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in October 1940. It was a strategic move to express the Indian National Congress's dissatisfaction with the British government's refusal to grant India a National Government and the promise of independence in exchange for war support. The movement was designed to be symbolic and restricted to avoid embarrassing Britain during its critical struggle in World War II.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Congress had offered to cooperate with the British war effort if a provisional National Government was set up at the Centre and independence was promised after the war. The British response (the "August Offer") was unsatisfactory. Consequently, the Individual Satyagraha was launched to exert moral and political pressure on the rulers to concede to these demands for freedom and to assert the right to free speech against the war effort.
- Statement 2 is Correct: Unlike the Non-Cooperation or Civil Disobedience movements, this was not a mass movement. It was deliberately restricted to select individuals chosen by Mahatma Gandhi (such as Vinoba Bhave and Jawaharlal Nehru) to ensure discipline and prevent violence. The aim was quality of protest, not quantity.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect: The Individual Satyagraha was launched in 1940, specifically in response to the August Offer (August 1940) and the involvement of India in World War II without consultation. The Round Table Conferences took place much earlier, between 1930 and 1932.
Key Takeaway
Individual Satyagraha (1940) was a limited, symbolic protest launched after the rejection of the August Offer to affirm the right to speech and express discontent with British war policies, without launching a mass disruption.