Consider the following statements about the Ahmedabad Mill strikeof 1918 : 1. It was related to a dispute between the workers and the European mill owners regarding hours of work. 2. Gandhiji advised the workers to go on strike. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

The Ahmedabad Mill Strike of 1918 was primarily a dispute over the discontinuation of the 'plague bonus' and a demand for a 35% wage hike to combat wartime inflation [2]. Statement 1 is incorrect because the mill owners were predominantly Indian (Jains, Vaishnavas, and Parsis), such as Ambalal Sarabhai, rather than European [1]. The dispute centered on wages and bonuses rather than hours of work [3]. Statement 2 is correct as Gandhiji, after being approached by Anusuya Sarabhai, intervened to lead the workers [2]. He advised them to go on strike and maintain non-violence (ahimsa) after negotiations with the mill owners failed [3]. To strengthen the workers' resolve during the 21-day strike, Gandhi also undertook his first 'fast unto death' in India, eventually leading to a successful 35% wage increase settlement [4].

Sources

1. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)— First Hunger Strike > p. 317
2. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Champaran Satyagraha (1917)—First Civil Disobedience > p. 318
3. [3] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > Ahmedabad Mill Strike > p. 266
4. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 32: The Movement of the Working Class > 588 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India > p. 588