During the Swadeshi Movement, the British tried hard to pull the Muslim community away from the national struggle by using the strategy of religious division. Lord Curzon repeatedly told Muslim leaders that the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam would serve as their own “homeland,” and therefore they should stay away from the anti-partition protests. Later, Lord Minto took this further by supporting the creation of the All-India Muslim League in 1906, giving the community a separate political identity.
The British then strengthened this separation by introducing the separate electorate for Muslims through the Indian Councils Act of 1909, turning them into a distinct and loyal political group in the eyes of the government.
The colonial administration also used several harsh measures to crush the Swadeshi spirit. The slogan “Vande Mataram” was banned in Bengal, and strict regulations were issued to prevent students from joining the movement. Many students even faced physical punishment and severe disciplinary actions.
Public meetings were declared illegal, and hundreds of cases were filed against political workers throughout Bengal. The British also targeted the press—popular newspapers like Jugantar, Bande Mataram, and Sandhya were banned. Leading activists such as Krishna Kumar Mitra, Aswini Kumar Dutta, and others were deported from Bengal in December 1908.
In 1908, freedom fighter Khudiram Bose was executed by hanging for an alleged bomb attack on a British official, fueling widespread anger. However, continued pressure from the Swadeshi Movement eventually forced the British to cancel the partition of Bengal on 2 December 1911 during the Delhi Durbar. With this announcement, the Swadeshi Movement gradually came to an end.