Non-Cooperation Movement

The non-cooperation movement was launched on 5th September 1920 by the Indian National Congress (INC) under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, marking a new awakening in the Indian Independence Movement. After a series of events including the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Gandhiji realised that the only way forward was to get the British government to grant self-government, or swaraj, to India. The Non-cooperation movement was one of Gandhi’s first organized acts of large-scale civil disobedience (satyagraha). It was a great success as it was supported by millions of Indians, and the movement almost shook the British authorities.

Causes of Non-Cooperation Movement

• Resentment at the British after the war:

  Indians thought that in return for the extensive support of manpower and resources they had provided to Britain during the First World War, they would be rewarded by autonomy at the end of the war. But the Government of India Act 1919 was dissatisfactory. In addition, the British also passed repressive acts like the Rowlatt Act which further angered many Indians who felt betrayed by the rulers despite their wartime support.

• Economic hardships due to World War I:

  India’s indirect participation in the war caused a lot of economic hardships to the people. Prices of goods began to soar which affected the common man. Peasants also suffered because the prices of agricultural products did not increase. All this led to resentment against the government.

• The Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre:

  The Rowlatt Act in March 1919 suspended the rights of defendants in sedition trials, and it was this act that brought Gandhi to the mainstream of Indian struggle for independence and ushered in the Gandhi Era of Indian politics.

  Later, there was widespread outcry in India over the Jallianwala Bagh massacre at Amritsar in April 1919, when the British-led troops killed several hundred Indians. That anger was later compounded by indignation at the government’s alleged failure to take adequate action against those responsible, notably Gen. Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, who had commanded the troops involved in the massacre.

  The repressive Rowlatt Act and the brutal massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar had a profound effect on the Indian leaders and the people. Their faith in the British system of justice was broken and the whole country rallied behind its leaders who were pitching for a more aggressive and firm stance against the government.

• The Khilafat Movement:

  During the First World War, Turkey, which was a German ally, had fought against the British. After Turkey’s defeat, the Ottoman caliphate was proposed to be dissolved. Muslims regarded Sultan of Turkey as their Caliph (religious head of the Muslims). The Khilafat movement was launched under the leadership of Ali Brothers (Maulana Mohammed Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali), Maulana Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan, and Hasrat Mohani. It got the support from Mahatma Gandhi to persuade the British government not to abolish the caliphate. The leaders of this movement accepted the non-cooperation movement of Gandhiji and led a joint protest against the British.

Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement suspended?

The Non-Cooperation movement was to be nonviolent and to consist of Indians resigning their titles; boycotting government educational institutions, the courts, government service, foreign goods, and elections; and, eventually, refusing to pay taxes.

The British government, confronted with a united Indian front for the first time, was visibly shaken, but a revolt by the Muslim Moplahs of Kerala (southwestern India) in August 1921 and a number of violent outbreaks alarmed moderate opinion.

After an angry mob murdered police officers in the village of Chauri Chaura (now in Uttar Pradesh state) in February 1922, Gandhi himself called off the movement. In Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, a violent mob set fire to a police station killing 22 policemen during a clash between the police and protesters of the movement. The next month Gandhi was arrested without incident.

While a lot of leaders such as Motilal Nehru and C R Das were against the suspension of the movement only due to sporadic incidents of violence, Gandhiji called off the movement saying people were not ready for revolt against the government through ahimsa.

Phases of the non-cooperation movement

The non-cooperation movement started with great enthusiasm from early 1921 onwards. In the initial phase from January to March 1921, the primary emphasis was on the boycott of schools, colleges, law courts; and the use of the Charkha. There was widespread student unrest and top lawyers like C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru gave up their legal practice.

This phase was followed by the second phase starting from April 1921. In this phase the basic objectives were the collection of Rs. one crore for the Tilak Swaraj Fund by August 1921, enrolling one crore Congress members and installing 20 lakh Charkhas by 30 June.

In the third phase, starting from July, the stress was on boycott of foreign cloth, boycott of the forthcoming visit of the Prince of Wales in November, 1921, popularisation of Charkha and Khadi and Jail Bharo by Congress volunteers.

In the last phase, in November 1921, a shift towards radicalism was visible. While the Congress volunteers were rallying the people, many across the country seemed to be on the verge of a revolt. The attack on a local police station by angry peasants at Chauri Chaura changed the whole situation.

Significance of the Non-Cooperation movement

The Indian Nationalist movement, for the first time in history, acquired a real mass base with the participation of different sections of Indian society such as peasants, workers, students and teachers, women, merchants and so on. However, the big industrialist, capitalists and zamindars still remained hostile.

The movement also marked the height of Hindu – Muslim unity which could be seen in the merger of the Khilafat movement with this movement. While the movement did fail in achieving its original objective, it did shake the British empire, and more importantly, the movement marked the transition of Indian nationalism from the middle-class to the masses.

This movement witnessed massive participation of peasants and workers, who got an opportunity to express their real feelings. However, the movement was also shaped in most places according to the local conditions. It was the local grievances of the people which found expression through this movement, and the instructions of the Congress leadership were not always followed. Although the Congress leadership was against class war, the masses failed to restraint themselves. In rural areas and some other places, the peasants turned against the landlords and the traders. This gave a new dimension to the movement of 1921-22.

Nevertheless, the movement clearly demonstrated the willingness and ability of the masses to endure hardships and make sacrifices for the cause of national independence. Though the movement failed to achieve its objectives, it was, nevertheless, a great step forward in the course of the Indian nationalist movement.

studymumbai

StudyMumbai.com is an educational resource for students, parents, and teachers, with special focus on Mumbai. Our staff includes educators with several years of experience. Our mission is to simplify learning and to provide free education. Read more about us.