As the week wore on, the economic pressure became unbearable. British businesses in India, from jute mills to railway companies, were bleeding money. Trade with other parts of the Empire, reliant on Indian resources and logistical hubs, began to falter. The specter of a widespread famine, brought on not by drought but by economic paralysis, loomed.
The British civil servants, who had mocked Adav's "irrigation solution" years prior, now saw the sheer, terrifying power of his economic vision. This wasn't about a few angry speeches; it was about demonstrating India's indispensability. The Bombay Chronicle, a British-owned newspaper, ran a scathing editorial, condemning the "unprecedented and disruptive display of native insubordination," but also grudgingly admitting the "crippling impact on His Majesty's economic interests."
Behind closed doors, the discussions in the Viceroy's Council were heated. Military solutions were proposed, but swiftly dismissed. How do you crush a protest where no one is breaking the law, where people are simply refusing to work? Any violent suppression would not only be a moral catastrophe but would also guarantee a complete collapse of economic activity that might never recover. The cost in future revenue and goodwill would be astronomical.
Lord Hardinge, facing immense pressure from London and the desperate pleas of British merchants, finally caved. A terse, formal announcement was made: the discussions surrounding the proposed "Rowlatt Act" would be indefinitely suspended. The government would instead initiate a "dialogue" on economic conditions and labor reforms with Indian representatives. It was a humiliating climbdown.
On the seventh day, the call came from Bose's network: the shutdown was to end. Just as calmly and efficiently as it had begun, the factories roared back to life, the trains began to run, and the markets buzzed once more. The air of celebration was palpable, but it was a quiet, knowing celebration. India had flexed a new kind of muscle, and for the first time, the British had truly felt its power.