Consider the following statements regarding Subhash Chandra Bose when he endeavored to consolidate the Muslim League Party in 1940:

1. The agitation to remove the Holwell Monument, erected by G. Holwell during his short tenure as Calcutta Governor in 1760, was to commemorate those deceased in the Black Hole.
2. The Holwell Monument was a symbol representing the alleged savagery of the last Nawab of Bengal, Sirajuddowla, and the bravery of British soldiers who sacrificed their lives.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Holwell Monument was erected in 1760 by John Zephaniah Holwell to commemorate the British who allegedly died in the Black Hole of Calcutta incident (1756).

• Subhas Chandra Bose, as part of a larger nationalist campaign, led an agitation in 1940 demanding the removal of this colonial structure that was perceived as glorifying British suffering and vilifying Indian resistance.

• Statement 2 is also correct: The monument served as a symbol of British colonial propaganda, painting Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah as a tyrant and showcasing British soldiers as martyrs.

• Indian nationalists, including Bose, viewed this narrative as false, humiliating, and a deliberate distortion of history meant to justify British imperialism and demean Indian rulers.

Information Booster:

• The monument was located near the Writers’ Building in Calcutta and was eventually removed under nationalist pressure in 1940.

• Bose used this agitation to mobilize public opinion and promote Hindu-Muslim unity by uniting diverse groups against a common colonial target.