CDS 2020 (II)

Revolutionary Ideology

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Who among the following wrote 'The Philosophy of the Bomb'?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept In the 1920s and 30s, the Indian revolutionary movement engaged in an ideological debate with the mainstream Congress regarding the ethics and efficacy of violence.

Explanation Bhagwati Charan Vohra, a key ideologue of the HSRA, wrote 'The Philosophy of the Bomb' in 1930. It was drafted as a rebuttal to Mahatma Gandhi's article 'The Cult of the Bomb'.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option C is correct. The article provided a sophisticated defense of armed revolution as a tool for liberating the masses from both British and domestic oppression.
Logic 2: Vohra worked closely with Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad to define the socialist and secular goals of their movement.

Active Recall

Question

What prompted the writing of 'The Philosophy of the Bomb'?

Answer

It was a response to Mahatma Gandhi's condemnation of a revolutionary attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train in 1929.

Core Insight

The text demonstrated that the 'revolutionaries' were not just emotional terrorists but intellectuals with a clear socio-political vision for independent India.