The Students' Movement in Bombay

The students of Bombay (present-day Mumbai), though young, were active participants during the freedom struggle. Under the aegis of the Young Nationalists League, about 300 students were selected and mentored under the leadership of Gandhiji, Shaukat Ali, and R S Nimbkar to participate in the 1942 Non-Cooperation Movement. Several other students showed their support by boycotting government-owned colleges and schools. The students of Wilson College and other government-owned or aided colleges protested in large numbers against the brutal attitude of the authorities. The 1920s also saw the establishment of nationalist schools in Bombay, such as the Gujarati National School, Lokmanya Tilak Girls’ School, National Marathi School, National College, etc. During the Civil Disobedience Movement, students actively picketed shops selling foreign goods. In some instances, students resorted to violence to show their dissent. In 1931, a student made an attempt on the life of Sir John Ernest Hotson, the then-acting Governor of Bombay. Dr Usha Mehta, for instance, was around 22 when she played a pivotal role in operating the Congress Radio to broadcast the news of underground activities during the 1940s. According to reports, she joined the movement at the age of eight. Throughout the freedom struggle, Bombay remained a hub of resistance, and the students of the city were a major part of it.