Non Cooperation Movement

2020-04-27 15:19:12

Special session at Calcutta Sept 1920 - NCN was approved

December 1920 At the Nagpur Session

non-cooperation was endorsed
Congress decided to have the attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means as it primary goal
CWC of 15 mem set up, provincial committees on linguistic basis was organised, ward committees was made and entry fee was reduced
Gandhi said swaraj can be ushered in 1 year if non-cooperation program was implemented.
Gandhiji suggested the NCN to the Khilafat committee on 9 June 1920.
social distress over economic condition, higher prices, shortage of food, draughts and epidemics
launched in August 1920
Program included surrender of titles and honours, boycott of gov affiliated schools and colleges, law courts, foreign cloth and resignation from gov service as well as non-payment of taxes
extra constitutional mass action, revolutionary terrorists also supported the movt
Educational boycott was very successful in Bengal. Lawyers gave up their practice viz CR Das, Motilal Nehru, Kitchlew, Patel etc
Boycott of foreign clothes, picketing of toddy and foreign cloth shops
NCN slowly started to turn violent first during the visit of Prince of Wales in Bombay and later in Chauri Chaura
The Gandhi Reading talk was held to diffuse tensions. Held in May 1921 before the Chauri Chaura. #important
Gandhiji announced that mass civil disobedience shall be held from Bardoli was withdrawn on 12 Feb 1922 -> Chauri Chaura Happened.
withdrawal is seen as a consequence to the radicalisation of the masses. Some say that it was to protect the propertied class.
was done to curb repression which would have been intense after the Chauri Chaura incident.

Analysis from Sekhar Bandyopadhyay

Provided for surrender titles, boycott schools, courts, councils, boycott foreign goods, encourage national schools, arbitration courts and khadi
Opposition from CR Das(later endorsed), Jinnah, Pal
Also radical restructuring of INC - make it true mass org
Judith B : Nagpur session was victory of MG
Rajat Ray + Richard Gordon : MG capitulated to CR Das
Support form M Khilafatists, backward classes
Trade unionism, labour unrest
Began 1921 emphasis middle class participation
Tilak Swaraj Fund
1st violence in Bombay thus full scale CDM postponed
Experimental no rev campaign at Bardoli in Guj
Except Madras council election boycotted elsewhere.
Economic boycott successful
Middle class part not spectacular
Marwari, Gujarati remained Pro Nationalist, large industrialist pro-gov
Uneven geo spread and wide regional variation
- Peasant part in Rajasthan, Sindh, Gujarat, Awadh, Assam, Maha, Ktaka unaffected
- Lower caste part in Madras, Maha
- Tribal in Andhra, Bengal, Assam
Madras Justice party launched non Brahman movt against Brahman dominated INC.
- It was formed in 1916 by TN Nair, P Tyagaraja, CN Mudaliar. Its initial demands were for reserved seats in Provincial Legislative Council that slowly extended to reservation in education, public appointments and nomination to local bodies.
National schools, arb courts and Khadi (expensive) did not succeed everywhere.
Akali Movt, Singh Sabha movt, SGPC, Jathas.
Most effect in UP -> Baba Ramchandra, UP Kisan Sabha
North Bihar -> Swami Viswananada, Kisan Sabha
Midnapur Bengal -> Mahisya peasants leader BN Sasmal
Patidar in Gujarat
Cross caste mobil Awadh, militant
Hill areas of Kumaun, Garhwal
- Richard Tucker : political conflict reaching hills for 1st time. Incendiarism shows that it had little connection w/ formal Cong movt
New meaning which depended on specific structure of society

PYQs

What were the circumstances that led Mahatma Gandhi to start the Non-cooperation Movement? Examine its contribution to India’s struggle for freedom. [1980, 60m]

December 1920 At the Nagpur session

Explain the circumstances leading to the alliance between the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movements. Was it a politically wise step on the part of the Congress? [2007, 60m]
“Many of us who worked for the congress programme lived in a kind of intoxication during the year 1921. We were full of excitement and optimism… we had a sense of freedom and pride in that freedom.” Critically examine. [2013, 10m]
Do you consider the suspension of Non-Cooperation Movement a “national calamity”? [2018, 20 Marks]