THE NON-CO-OPERATION MOVEMENT (1920)

Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian National Congress declared in 1920 to start the Non- co- operation movement in India. It was treaty a revolutionary step It was for the first time that the congress decided to follow a policy of direct action .There are many factors which prepared the background of the Non-Co-operation Movement. The congress supported the British government in the 1st war hoping greater political right. The British government announced the Montague Chelmsford Reforms in 1919 which could not ̕face various economic problems after the First World War. There was acute unemployment and poverty in the country. The people blamed the British government for their suffering and they became aggressive to oppose the British rule. Instead of solving the problems of Indians, the govt. tried to suppress the anti–British feeling of the Indian. In 1919 the government passed a 'notorious Act´ called the ̔Rowlatt Act̕ to snatch the individual liberty of the Indian people. A protest meeting was held at Jallianwala Bagh where hundred of people were killed in firing and inhuman atrocities were committed by the government in Punjab. It shattered the faith of the Indians especially of Mahatma Gandhi in the British government. In 1919, a significant development appeared in the Muslims politics in India. The British government harsh policy towards Turkey and its Sultan made the Muslims angry and anti-British. In order to bring the Muslim Community into the main stream of the national movement, Gandhiji decided to support the Khilafat movement. A special session of the congress was held at Calcutta in September 1920. It adopted a resolution accepting Non-Co-operation Movement as the only course left open for the people of India. This resolution wasendorsed by the Congress in its annual session held at Nagpur in December 1920. The Non-Co-operation Movement sought to achieve these objectives.(i) restoring the old status of the Sultan of Turkey , (ii) Punishing those guilty of atrocities in Punjab and (iii) Attaining Swaraj for India. The Non-Co-operation movement involved the following programmes: i) Surrender of titles and honoring offices. ii) Refusal to attend government offices and official function. iii) Boycott of election of provincial and Central Assemblies. iv) Boycott of government aided schools and colleges and low courts. v) Boycott of foreign goods. People were urged to develop the sprit of discipline and self sacrifice they were asked to take hand spinning, hand weaving and use of Swadeshi goods. The Congress now changed its character. It became the organizer and leader of the masses in its national struggle for freedom from foreign rule. There was a general feeling of exhilaration. Hindus and Muslims were marching together shoulder to shoulder. Thousands of students left schools and colleges. It was at this time that the Jama Millia Islsmia, Bihar Vidyapith, Kashi Vidyapith and Gujarat Vidyapith came into existence. Hundreds of lowers including C.R Das, Motilal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad , Sardar Patel , C . Rajagopal Achari gave up their practice. Gandhiji gave up the title of Kaiser. The Tilak Swarajya fund was started to finance the non-co-operation movement woman showed great enthusiasm and freely offered their jewellery. Boycott of foreign with became a mass movement huge bonfires of foreign cloth were organized all over the country. In November 1921 huge demonstrations greeted the Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne, during his tour of India. The British govt. alarmed and adopted the policy of repression. The activities of the congress and Khilafat volunteers were declared illegal. Public meetings and processions were banned. By the end of 1921 all important nationalist leaders, except Gandhiji were behind bars. Nearly 30,000 nationalist were also put in prison.