CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · History: Nationalism in IndiaDiscuss the Non-Cooperation Movement. Why did Mahatma Gandhi launch it, and how did it unfold in towns, the countryside, and plantations?

Introduction\nThe Non-Cooperation Movement, launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, was a turning point in the Indian national movement. It was based on the premise that British rule in India was established with the cooperation of Indians, and if Indians refused to cooperate, British rule would collapse within a year.

Why Mahatma Gandhi Launched It

• Broken Promises after World War I: Indians had hoped that their contribution to the British war effort in World War I would be rewarded with self-government, but instead, they faced repressive measures like the Rowlatt Act.
• The Rowlatt Act (1919): This act gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919): General Dyer's brutal firing on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar killed hundreds of innocent men, women, and children, creating widespread national outrage.
• Khilafat Issue: The defeat of Ottoman Turkey in World War I led to harsh terms being imposed on the Caliph (spiritual head of the Islamic world). Indian Muslims, led by the Ali brothers, started the Khilafat Movement. Gandhi saw this as an opportunity to bring Hindus and Muslims together within a single mass movement.
• Adoption of Swaraj: At the Nagpur session of the Congress in December 1920, the Non-Cooperation program was formally adopted.

How the Movement Unfolded in Different Sectors

• In the Towns and Cities:
  • Students left government-controlled schools and colleges, headmasters and teachers resigned, and lawyers gave up their legal practices.
  • The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras.
  • Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed, and imported cloth was burnt in huge bonfires. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921 and 1922.
• In the Countryside (Peasant Movements):
  • In Awadh, peasants led by Baba Ramchandra protested against talukdars and landlords who demanded exorbitantly high rents and cesses. The movement demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar (forced labor), and social boycott of oppressive landlords.
  • In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, a militant guerrilla movement spread. Led by Alluri Sitaram Raju, tribals revolted against forest laws that restricted their entry into reserved forests, hampered their livelihoods, and forced them into begar.
• In the Plantations:
  • For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined spaces in which they were enclosed.
  • Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission. When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands defied authorities, left plantations, and headed home, believing that Gandhi raj was coming.

Conclusion\nThe Non-Cooperation Movement saw unprecedented participation from various sections of Indian society. However, due to stray incidents of violence, particularly the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922 where a police station was set on fire, Mahatma Gandhi abruptly called off the movement.