Question

How can you say that the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal was linked to the politics of clothing in India?

Answer 1

Hint: The Swadeshi Movement began in 1906 and was aimed at boycotting British goods in Bengal as a protest to the partition of Bengal on communal lines. This partition was approved by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon.

Complete answer: The partition of Bengal was met with fierce resistance and opposition from the people of Bengal. On the approval of the Congress Committee, the Swadeshi Movement began in 1906 which was aimed at boycotting all foreign goods and for the promotion of the Indian local industries.
This movement can be seen as closely linked to the politics of clothing in India. After the colonisation of India, the indigenous textile industry was one of the markets to take a strong blow. The handloom industry in the Indian economy could now compete with the cheap, mass-produced goods of the British origin. The raw materials occupied at low costs from the Indian farmers were converted into clothes in the British mechanised industries and sold in the Indian markets at comparatively cheaper prices.
This imperialist structure had given a hard blow to the Indian clothing market. Thus, when these foreign goods were boycotted, the India clothing industry saw an upward scale as people started consuming more of indigenous goods.
Thus, the Swadeshi movement was linked to the politics of clothes in India.

Note: The Charkha, a symbol of the coarse handmade khadi cloth in India which was replaced by cheap British textile all over the world. The boycott of those goods was also central in the recognition of the Charkha as the symbol for the national independence movement of India.