To check economic drain, the early national leaders pleaded with the people to boycott foreign goods and strengthen Indian industry by consuming Indian products. As a part of the agitation, foreign goods were collected and burnt publicly. The extensive use of indigenous products by discarding foreign items rejuvenated Indian industry.

As a result, a number of textile mills, soap factories, match box companies, national banks and insurance companies were established. It was during the Swadeshi movement that the Bengal chemical store in Bengal, The Tata steel plant in Maharashtra and the Swadeshi steam Navigation company in Tamil Nadu were established.

Import of British goods to India steadily went down during this period.Massive participation of women, laborers, and students were another remarkable feature of this movement. Washer men look a vow that they would not wash foreign clothes.

The priests swore that they would not perform rituals and prayer using foreign items. Women boycotted foreign bangles and utensils. Students quit schools to take part in the movement. Indian nationalism attained further strength from Swadeshi movement.

Answer :-

To reduce the drain of Indian wealth, the Bengali scholars advocated that the citizens should boycott foreign goods and use only Indian goods and services. We know that this was a mass movement because:

1. Foreign goods were collected and burnt publicly, and several such bonfires were reported in the city during those days.

2. The years after 1905 saw the rise and rejuvenation of Indian industries and home-made textiles, soaps, matchboxes and insurances entered the market again.

3. It also saw the rise of Indian banks and large industry like Tata Iron and Steel Plant and Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, which were signs of a healthy economy.

4. Numbers also show that foreign imports went down drastically in this period.

5. Women, labourers and priests participated en-masse. Notably, washer men refused to wash foreign cloth and women threw away foreign bangles and goods.

The organised nature of Swadeshi movement and economic crippling of the British were significant forces in Indian nationalism that ultimately led to freedom from foreign rule.