The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for
A
the reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of the crop to one-third
B
the grant of ownership of land to peasants as they were the actual cultivators of the land
C
the uprooting of Zamindari system and the end of serfdom
D
writing off all peasant debts
Correct Answer: Option A
Explanation
1. The Tebhaga Peasant Movement was a significant agrarian struggle initiated in Bengal by the Kisan Sabha (the peasant front of the Communist Party of India) in 1946-1947.
2. The movement involved sharecroppers, known as 'bargadars' or 'adhiyars', who tilled the land owned by landlords called 'jotedars'.
3. The central demand of the movement, encapsulated in the slogan "Tebhaga Chai" (We want two-thirds), was for the reduction of the share of the produce payable to the landlords from the traditional one-half (50%) to one-third (33.3%). This would allow the sharecroppers to retain two-thirds of the crop.
4. This demand was based on the recommendations of the Floud Commission, which had reported on the agrarian conditions in Bengal.
5. Option (A) accurately reflects this core demand of the Tebhaga Movement. Options (B), (C), and (D), while potentially related to broader agrarian issues, do not represent the specific primary demand of this particular movement.