Q. Which one among the following prompted Rabindranath Tagore to surrender his title of ‘Sir’?
(a) The passing of the Rowlatt Act
(b) The passing of the Act of 1919
(c) To support Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha Movement
(d) To protest against the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and the imposition of martial law in Punjab
Ans: (d) To protest against the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and the imposition of martial law in Punjab
Explanation: The correct answer is (d) To protest against the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and the imposition of martial law in Punjab.
Rabindranath Tagore surrendered his title of ‘Sir’ in protest against the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and the imposition of martial law in Punjab. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred on April 13, 1919, when British troops under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer fired upon a peaceful gathering of Indians in Amritsar, Punjab, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries.
Tagore was deeply shocked and outraged by the brutal incident, which he saw as a grave injustice. In protest against the massacre and the repressive measures taken by the British government, he renounced his knighthood, which had been bestowed upon him by the British Crown in 1915.
Tagore’s act of surrendering his knighthood was a powerful symbol of his opposition to British imperialism and his solidarity with the Indian people. It demonstrated his commitment to the principles of justice, freedom, and the dignity of all individuals.
