Vardaan Learning Institute

Chapter 7: National Movement 1919-1934

1. Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922)

Causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement

The Khilafat Movement: After World War I, the victorious Allies unjustly treated the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). The Sultan of Turkey, who was also the Caliph (Khalifa - religious head) of Muslims worldwide, was stripped of his political power. Indian Muslims, led by the Ali brothers (Shaukat Ali and Muhammad Ali), started the Khilafat Movement in 1919 to protest against this. Mahatma Gandhi saw this as an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims and persuaded the Congress to support the Khilafat cause and start a Non-Cooperation Movement against the government.
Rowlatt Act (1919): Passed in March 1919, this act gave the British government arbitrary powers to arrest any person without a warrant and imprison them without trial for up to two years. It was widely opposed in India as the "Black Act" because it suspended fundamental civil liberties (Na Dalil, Na Vakil, Na Appeal).
Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy (April 13, 1919): On Baisakhi day, a peaceful, unarmed crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to protest the arrest of local leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal. General Dyer ordered his troops to block the only exit and open fire without warning. Hundreds of men, women, and children were killed, and thousands were wounded. This massacre sent a shockwave through the nation and destroyed any remaining faith in British justice. Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest.

Programme of the Movement

The Non-Cooperation Movement involved two main components: boycott (negative) and constructive (positive) programmes.

Boycott Programme:
- Surrender of titles and honorary offices.
- Boycott of government schools, colleges, and courts.
- Boycott of foreign goods and the burning of foreign cloth.
- Boycott of elections to the legislative councils.
Constructive Programme:
- Promotion of Swadeshi and popularization of Khadi (hand-spun cloth).
- Establishment of national educational institutions (like Jamia Millia Islamia, Kashi Vidyapeeth).
- Eradication of untouchability and promotion of Hindu-Muslim unity.
- Promotion of temperance (giving up alcohol).

Key Event Suspension of the Movement - The Chauri Chaura Incident:
On February 5, 1922, at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh, a peaceful procession of Congress and Khilafat volunteers was fired upon by the police. The angry mob attacked the police station and set it on fire, burning 22 policemen alive. Deeply hurt by this violence, Mahatma Gandhi, who firmly believed in Ahimsa (non-violence), called off the Non-Cooperation Movement on February 12, 1922.

Impact of the Non-Cooperation Movement

Mass Movement: It was the first truly mass movement in India. It brought various sections of society (peasants, workers, students, women, and the middle class) into the national struggle.
Growth of Nationalism: It fostered a sense of fearlessness and a strong desire for freedom among the masses.
Hindu-Muslim Unity: The combination of the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements saw unprecedented unity between Hindus and Muslims.
Promotion of Social Reforms: Steps were taken to eradicate untouchability and promote Khadi and indigenous industries.

2. The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934)

Causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement

Reaction to the Simon Commission (1927): The British government appointed an all-white commission led by Sir John Simon to investigate the working of the Government of India Act 1919 and suggest further reforms. Indians boycotted it because it had no Indian members. Wherever the commission went, it was greeted with black flags and cries of "Simon, Go Back!" The brutal lathi charge during protests led to the death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
Declaration of Poorna Swaraj (1929): At the Lahore session of the Congress in December 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress declared 'Poorna Swaraj' (Complete Independence) as its ultimate goal. It was decided that January 26, 1930, would be celebrated as Independence Day all over the country. The Congress Working Committee was authorized to launch a program of civil disobedience.

Key Event The Dandi March (The Salt Satyagraha):
Gandhi decided to inaugurate the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the salt law. Salt was heavily taxed and the government had a monopoly over its production. Gandhi considered the salt tax the most oppressive tax on the poor. On March 12, 1930, Gandhi along with 78 followers started a march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a coastal village in Gujarat. They reached Dandi on April 5. On the morning of April 6, 1930, Gandhi broke the salt law by boiling seawater and making salt. This marked the formal beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Programme of the Movement

Defiance of salt laws and other unjust laws.
Boycott of foreign cloth and British goods.
Picketing of liquor shops.
Non-payment of taxes and land revenue.
Resignation from government jobs and boycott of law courts.

Impact of the Civil Disobedience Movement

It broadened the base of the national movement. Women participated in large numbers for the first time.
It popularized new methods of propaganda like Prabhat Pheris (morning processions), Vanar Senas (children's groups), and Manjari Senas (girls' groups).
It forced the British government to recognize the Congress as a representative organization of the Indian people.
It shattered people's faith in the British government and instilled confidence in their own strength.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931)

To break the political deadlock, the British government invited Indian leaders to London for a Round Table Conference. The Congress boycotted the first conference. Following this, an agreement was reached between Gandhi and Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India.

The British agreed to release all political prisoners who were not convicted of violence.
The British allowed the peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops.
The British permitted the manufacture of salt for personal consumption along the coast.
In return, Gandhi agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and participate in the Second Round Table Conference.

The Second Round Table Conference (1931) and Renewal of the Movement

Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference in London as the sole representative of the Congress.
The conference failed because the British government refused to concede the immediate grant of Dominion Status and insisted on separate electorates for minority communities and the "Depressed Classes" (which Gandhi strongly opposed as it would divide Hindu society).
Reason for Renewal: Gandhi returned to India empty-handed in December 1931. He found that the government had unleashed severe repression (new Viceroy Lord Willingdon), and prominent leaders like Nehru and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan were arrested. As a result, the Civil Disobedience Movement was renewed in January 1932.