Attack on schools and police stations in Bastar rebellion indicated what?

Correct answer: Opposition to colonial institutions

Direct answer: Option A, opposition to colonial institutions. A rebellion often targets symbols of the authority that people oppose. In Bastar, schools and police stations were connected, directly or indirectly, with the colonial state and its control. Step by step: colonial officials introduced rules and institutions; these institutions helped spread or enforce colonial authority; people who felt harmed by forest restrictions and other demands saw them as symbols of that power; attacking them therefore expressed resistance to colonial rule. Option A is correct. Option B, growth of sea trade, has no connection with attacks on government buildings. Option C, increased cotton production, is an agricultural or commercial matter and does not explain the targets. Option D, complete forest protection, is also wrong: attacking a police station or school did not mean supporting every forest rule; it showed anger against colonial control. Exam cue: identify what a target symbolises, not only the building itself.