End of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movements

The British had seeded the seeds of communalism quite deep into India's social fabric, and the Swadeshi movement was unable to gain support from the Muslim masses, especially the Muslim peasantry, which in large parts of Bengal was in an inverse class relationship with the Hindu zamindars.

By mid-1908, the Swadeshi and boycott movements mass character had nearly ended and the repression of the government took full force. Student participants were expelled from government schools and colleges at public meetings, processions that were banned. The press was subjected to severe controls. It was used by the police to break up public meetings and meetings.

At the Surat session, the Congress split in 1907, further weakening the Swadeshi movement.

The government moved quickly against the movement's leaders, including Ashwini Kumar Dutt, Krishna Kumar Mitra, Lokmanya Tilak, Ajit Singh, Lajpat Rai, Chidambaram Pillai, making it leaderless. Bipin Chandra Pal retired from politics with Aurobindo Ghosh.

The government quickly moved against the leaders of the movement, including Ashwini Kumar Dutt, Krishna Kumar Mitra, Lokmanya Tilak, Ajit Singh, Lajpat Rai, Chidambaram Pillai, which made it leaderless. Bipin Chandra Pal with Aurobindo Ghosh retired from politics.

It should be remembered, however, that for an endless time no mass movement can stand at the same tempo without pausing, especially when faced with severe repression, and this is also true of the Swadeshi and boycott movements.