Non-Cooperation Movement

 

Lecture Summary: Non-Cooperation Movement (NCM) - Part [Focus on Launch & Programme]

I. Introduction & Recap

• Welcome to Honey GS Classes.

• This lecture continues the discussion on the Non-Cooperation Movement (NCM).

• Recap of Reasons for NCM (Previously Discussed):

  1. Rowlatt Act (1919)

  2. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)

  3. Dissatisfaction with the Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms)

  4. Khilafat Movement Issue

II. Objective of NCM

• To achieve Justice for the four issues mentioned above.

• To establish Swaraj.

  • Clarification: At this stage (1920), Swaraj meant Home Rule (self-governance in day-to-day administration), not Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence).

III. Nature & Significance of NCM

• It was Mahatma Gandhi's first major mass movement launched under the banner of the Indian National Congress (INC).

• It aimed to be a nationwide popular movement.

IV. Launch and Initial Events

• Formal Launch: August 1, 1920, by Mahatma Gandhi.

• Death of Tilak: Coincided with the launch date (August 1, 1920). Bal Gangadhar Tilak ("Tilak Maharaj") passed away. The movement began partly in mourning for him.

• Tilak Swaraj Fund: Established on August 1, 1920, in Tilak's memory to finance the NCM.

  • Target: 1 Crore Rupees.

  • Achievement: Collected 1.5 Crore Rupees within 6 months, indicating strong public support.

V. INC Sessions and NCM Resolution

• INC Special Session (Calcutta, September 1920):

  • Presided over by Lala Lajpat Rai.

  • The Non-Cooperation resolution was first approved here.

  • C.R. Das initially opposed the resolution (especially the council boycott aspect).

• INC Regular Annual Session (Nagpur, December 1920):

  • Presided over by C. Vijayaraghavachariar.

  • The NCM resolution was formally ratified/confirmed.

  • C.R. Das, despite earlier opposition, proposed the resolution at this session (persuaded by others/Gandhi).

VI. Changes within the INC (Nagpur Session)

• Significant changes were made to the INC's methods and structure under Gandhi's influence.

• Change in Method:

  • Goal remained Swaraj (Home Rule).

  • Method shifted from purely Constitutional means to achieving Swaraj through Satyagraha (Truth and Non-violence) and Extra-Constitutional means (boycotts, non-payment of taxes, civil disobedience).

• Change in Organization: Aimed at strengthening the party and reaching the masses:

  1. Formation of a Congress Working Committee (CWC) with 15 members to function throughout the year (idea originally proposed by Tilak).

  2. Establishment of Provincial Congress Committees (PCCs) on a linguistic basis.

  3. Creation of Ward Committees to take the movement to the village/grassroots level.

  4. Reduction of Membership Fee from 16 Annas (approx. 1 Rupee) to 4 Annas (25 Paise / Pavala) to enable wider participation.

• Departures from INC: Due to the shift towards mass agitation and extra-constitutional methods, some prominent leaders left the INC:

  • Mohammad Ali Jinnah

  • Annie Besant

  • Bipin Chandra Pal

  • (Note on Jinnah: Speaker mentioned Jinnah was more secular in the 1920s, signed in Gujarati, didn't know Urdu well, and didn't frequent mosques often at this time).

VII. Programme/Forms of Protest during NCM

• (1) Boycott of Schools & Colleges:

  • Students (approx. 90,000) boycotted government/aided institutions.

  • Establishment of alternative National Schools and Colleges (around 800+).

  • Examples: Gujarat Vidyapith, Kashi Vidyapith, Bihar Vidyapith, Jamia Millia Islamia (initially Aligarh, later Delhi), Bengal National College.

  • Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose resigned from the ICS (ranked 4th) and became Principal of Bengal National College.

• (2) Boycott of Foreign Cloth:

  • Boycotting and burning of foreign textiles.

  • Promotion of Khadi (hand-spun, hand-woven cloth) and the Charkha (spinning wheel).

  • Issue: Khadi was more expensive than mill-made cloth.

  • Gandhi's Response (Madurai): After students raised concerns about cost, Gandhi reduced his own attire to a langoti (loincloth) and shawl to identify with the poor. (Led to Churchill's "half-naked fakir" remark later).

• (3) Picketing of Liquor Shops:

  • Defined as protesting outside shops to prevent customers from entering.

  • Became a significant activity, later linked to the Chauri Chaura incident.

  • (Not explicitly part of the original Nagpur programme but adopted widely).

• (4) Boycott of Law Courts:

  • Lawyers urged to give up their practice.

  • Prominent lawyers who did: C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Asaf Ali, Rajendra Prasad, Saifuddin Kitchlew.

  • Jamnalal Bajaj (businessman) provided financial support to these lawyers.

• (5) Boycott of Elections (1920):

  • INC boycotted the elections held under the 1919 Act.

  • Exception: The Justice Party in Madras contested, won, and formed the government (ruled until 1937). Their motive was anti-Brahmin politics.

• (6) Donation of Ornaments:

  • Women actively participated, donating jewellery to the Tilak Swaraj Fund.

  • Example: Annapurnadevi (Vijayawada) donated 200 kasulu (gold coins/sovereigns?) of gold.

  • Example: Kanakamahalakshmi (West Godavari) gave powerful speeches promoting Khadi and showed great bravery.

• (7) Boycott of Prince of Wales' Visit:

  • Visit to Bombay met with hartals and protests, leading to violence.

  • Gandhi undertook a 3-day fast in response to the violence.

• (Associated Movements): Peasant and tribal movements aligned with NCM (mentioned briefly, likely covered in detail elsewhere):

  • Midnapur (West Bengal) - Non-payment of taxes.

  • Pedanandipadu (Andhra) - No-Tax campaign led by Parvataneni Veerayya Chowdary.

  • Chirala-Perala (Andhra) - Led by Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya.

  • Awadh Kisan Sabha (UP).

  • Eka Movement (UP).

  • Assam Tea Garden strike.

  • Rampa Rebellion (Andhra) - Alluri Sitarama Raju (though more militant).

  • Moplah Rebellion (Kerala) - Initially anti-landlord/anti-British, later took a communal turn.

VIII. Proposed Next Stage & Suspension

• Government Inaction: The British government did not yield significantly to the initial phase of NCM.

• Bardoli Meeting (February 1, 1922): Gandhi decided to escalate the movement to the next stage: Civil Disobedience (CD), starting with a Non-Tax campaign.

• Chauri Chaura Incident (February 5, 1922):

  • Location: Village in Gorakhpur district, UP.

  • Event: Police fired on a protesting crowd (led by Bhagwan Ahir). The mob retaliated, burning down the police station and killing 22 policemen.

• Gandhi's Reaction: Horrified by the violence, Gandhi decided to suspend the NCM immediately. He was in Bardoli at the time.

• Formal Suspension (Bardoli Resolution): The CWC met in Bardoli on February 12, 1922, and officially called off the Non-Cooperation Movement.

IX. Reasons for Suspension

• 1. Violence at Chauri Chaura: Violated the fundamental principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) required for Satyagraha.

• 1. Fear of Government Repression: Gandhi feared the British would use the violence as a pretext for brutal suppression of the entire movement.

• 1. Movement Losing Steam: After 1.5 years, popular enthusiasm was waning ('pitch' was decreasing). Gandhi might have preferred an honourable withdrawal.

• 1. People Not Ready: Gandhi felt the masses were not yet fully trained or disciplined for sustained non-violent struggle.

X. Assessment of NCM

• Failures/Negatives:

  • Did not achieve the primary goals (Justice for R, J, 1919 Act, Khilafat).

  • Did not achieve Swaraj within the promised one year.

  • Sudden withdrawal caused widespread disillusionment and criticism.

  • Hindu-Muslim unity proved temporary and began to fray.

  • Khilafat issue itself became irrelevant after the Caliphate was abolished in Turkey (1924).

• Successes/Positives:

  • Reached every corner of India: Truly a nationwide movement.

  • Expanded the social base of the national movement: Included peasants, workers, students, women, business class – beyond the educated elite. (Transformed INC from a 'microscopic minority' as Dufferin called it).

  • Strengthened the INC organizationally: CWC, linguistic PCCs, Ward committees, mass membership.

  • Increased Hindu-Muslim Unity (Temporarily): Unprecedented cooperation seen (e.g., Swami Shraddhanand at Jama Masjid, Saifuddin Kitchlew at Golden Temple).

  • Instilled Patriotism and Fearlessness: Made Indians shed fear of British authority on a mass scale.

  • Popularized Khadi and Charkha: Became symbols of self-reliance and nationalism.

XI. Aftermath

• Led to a split in the Congress (Swarajists vs. No-Changers) over the question of council entry. (To be discussed next).