Nationalism in India developed in the colonial context. Mahatma Gandhi arrived in India from Africa in 1915.
From 1920s, several mass movements were organised under his leadership. These movements had national character and several social groups participated.
The years between 1914 and 1919 were the years of the First World War. The British engaged in recruiting forced labour in the villages to work in plantations in Africa as indentured labour.
They also forced Indian soldiers to participate in the combats of the First World War.
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Two of these mass movements, the Non-cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement, almost shook the foundations of the British Empire. During these movements, the tribals and other sections of the society raised the slogan of ‘Swatantra Bharat’.
The Congress passed the resolution of Purna Swaraj or complete independence at its meeting on 26th January, 1930.
The Civil Disobedience Movement was seen differently by different sections of society.
The Congress had ignored certain sections of the society like the Dalits (untouchables) and some others like the Muslims had felt alienated from it for a variety of reasons. As such, nationalism in India meant different things to different communities.
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The sense of collective belongingness was however, captured by many through popular imagination and common history.