The Non Cooperation Movement # History of India's Freedom Struggle

The presentation discusses the causes,events and contribution of Non Cooperation Movement in India's struggle for Independence.

1. The Non Cooperation Movement The Rise, The Pinnacle and the Fall Dr.Monica Sharma

2. Introduction The Movement was pitched in under leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress from September 1920 to February 1922 After a series of events including the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Gandhiji realised that there was no hope of getting any fair treatment from the British, so a decision was made to withdraw the nation's co-operation from the British Government, thus launching the Non-Cooperation Movement.

3. Photos from the Non-Cooperation movement Protesters holding placards showing their revolt against the British Mahatma Gandhi addressing the crowd voicing his views of the movement Non- cooperation movement in Bihar

4. Agenda of the Non Cooperation Movement Relinquishing of titles given to indians and resignation from nominated seats in the local bodies as a mark of protest. Resignation from government jobs Withdrawal of children from government-controlled schools and colleges. Boycotting of foreign goods and the usage of only Indian-made goods. Boycotting of elections to the legislative councils. A plea to not serve in the British army. If the above steps didn't have a good result, then the payment of taxes would be refrained. A demand from the INC (Indian National Congress) of self governance or “Swaraj”

5. What led to the non cooperation movement? Resentment at the British after the war- Indians had shown extensive support of manpower and resources to British army during the First World War In return from their support indians thought that they would be rewarded by autonomy at the end of the war. But the Government of India Act 1919 was dissatisfactory Furthermore, 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.

6. 2. The Home Rule Movement- In 1916, two Home Rule Movements were launched in the country: one under the leadership of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the other under Annie Besant. Tilak’s Rule League : Bal Gangadhar Tilak setup the Home Rule League at the Bombay Provincial conference held at Belgaum in April 1916. The Tilak’s League was to work in Maharashtra (including Bombay city), Karnataka, the central Provinces and Berar. Tilak’s League was organised into six branches. Tilak popularised the demand for Home Rule through his lectures. He said:” India was like a son who had grown up and attend the majority. It wasn’t right now that the trustee or the father should give him what was his due. The people of India must get this affected. They have a right to do so .”

7. Objectives of the Home Rule League: The objectives of the Home Rule League were, Establishment of self-government for India in British Empire and working for national education and social and political reforms. The Home Rule movement created public opinion in favour of Home Rule through public meetings, discussions, reading rooms, propaganda, newspapers and pamphlets. Government’s Action against Tilak: As soon as the Tilak’s movement for Home Role began to gather momentum, the government hit back. On July 8 23, 1916, Tilak’s 60th birthday, government sent a notice to Tilak asking him to show cause why he should not be bonded over for good behaviour. Tilak moved the High Court against the notice and was defended by a team of lawyers led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Tilak won the case.

8. Besant’s Home Rule League : Annie Besant came to India in 1893 to work for the Theosophical Society. In 1914, she decided to enlarge her activities to include the buildings of a movement for Home Rule in India on lines of Irish Home Rule League. In September 1916, Besant announced the formation of Home Rule League, with George Arundale, her Theosophical follower, as the organising secretary. Jamnadas Dwarkadas, Shankarlal Banker, Indulal Yagnik, George Arundale, L.P. Ramaswamy Lyer were among the prominent members of Besant’s League.

9. The arrest of Annie Besant: In June 1917, the Government of Madras decided to place Mrs Besant and her associates, B.P. Wadia and George Arundale under arrest. Their internment became the occasion of nation-wide protest. In a dramatic gesture, Sir S. Subramania Aiyar renounced his knighthood. The government repression only served to hard on the attitude of agitators and strengthen their resolve to resist the government. The British Government decided to effect a change in policy and adopt conciliatory posture.

10. The Home Rule League, Lucknow Bal Gangadhar Tilak 1856-1920 Annie Besant 1847-1933

11. Decline of Home Rule Movement: Home Rule Movement declined after Besant accepted the proposed Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and the Tilak went to Britain to pursue the libel case that he had filed against Valentine chirol, the author of India Unrest. 3. 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.

12. Indian soldiers serving the British during the first World War The Rowlatt Act

13. 4. The Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre- On February 1919 the Rowlatt Acts, a legislation was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in the legislature of British India. The acts allowed certain political cases to be tried without juries and permitted internment of suspects without trial. Jallianwala Bagh massacre caused by British General Dyer who wanted to teach Indians a lesson and not to indulge in any form of protests against the British killing over 379 people. Saifuddin Kichlew were arrested by the British and therefore during the auspicious day of Baisakhi some of the families gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh. 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 it’s leaders who were pitching for a more aggressive and firm stance against the government.

14. Jallianwala Bagh massacre (13th April, 1919) Present day Jallianwala Bagh memorial

15. The Khilafat Movement Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic force in India that arose in 1919 in an effort to save the Ottoman caliph as a symbol of unity among the Muslim community in India during the British raj. A campaign in defense of the caliphate was launched, led in India by the brothers Shaukat Ali and Muḥammad Alī and by Abul Kalam Azad. The leaders joined forces with Mahatma Gandhi’s non cooperation movement for Indian freedom, promising non violence in return for his support of the Khilafat movement. In 1920 the latter movement was marred by the ḥijrat (Exodus) from India to Afghanistan of about 18,000 Muslim peasants, who felt that India was an apostate land.

16. Furthermore It was also tarnished by the Muslim Malabar rebellion in south India in 1921, the excesses of which deeply stirred Hindu India. Gandhi’s suspension of his movement and his arrest in March 1922 weakened the Khilafat movement still further. It was further undermined when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk drove the Greeks from western Asia Minor in 1922 and deposed the Turkish sultan Mehmed VI in the same year. The movement finally collapsed when Atatürk abolished the caliphate altogether in 1924.

17. The three main foundations of the Khilafat movement in India Shaukat Ali 1873-1938 Mohammad Ali Jauhar 1878-1931 Abdul Kalam Azad 1888-1958

18. Mehmed VI the Ottoman sultan and caliph during the nascence of the Khilafat movement in India. 1861-1926 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, former president of Turkey 1881-1938

19. The fall of the Non-Cooperation movement Gandhiji called off the movement in February 1922 in the wake of the Chauri Chaura incident which defeated the entire purpose of the non violent movement. The Chauri Chaura incident took place at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province (modern Uttar Pradesh) in British India on 5th February 1922, when a large group of protesters, participating in the Non-cooperation movement, clashed with police, who opened fire. In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants. The incident led to the deaths of three civilians and 22 policemen. Mahatma Gandhi was strictly against violence and he halted the non-cooperation movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.

20. Thank You