With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements:

1. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’.

2. In Lord Chelmsford’s War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.

3. Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

The correct option is 1 and 3 only.

Let us analyze each statement step-by-step to understand the historical context during British colonial rule in India:

Statement 1: Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’.

Analysis: This statement is correct. Indentured labor was a system of unfree labor where workers signed contracts to work for a specific employer for a fixed time. Mahatma Gandhi campaigned vigorously against the indentured labor system, starting in South Africa and continuing after his return to India in 1915. Public pressure led by Gandhi and other nationalist leaders forced the British government to officially end the indentured labor recruitment system in 1917.

Statement 2: In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.

Analysis: This statement is incorrect. Lord Chelmsford convened the War Conference in Delhi in April 1918 to seek Indian support for recruitment in World War I. Mahatma Gandhi attended the conference and actively supported the resolution to recruit Indians for the war effort, believing that fulfilling civic duties during wartime would strengthen the case for Indian self-government (Swaraj).

Statement 3: Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.

Analysis: This statement is correct. Following Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March in March-April 1930 and the formal breaking of the Salt Law, the Civil Disobedience Movement spread rapidly across India. In response, the colonial administration cracked down heavily on the movement, arresting key leaders and declaring the Indian National Congress and its affiliated organizations illegal.

Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct, making 1 and 3 only the right choice.