India's Civil Disobedience Movement Detailed: It Was Not In Vain

Source:wikipedia.org

When we think of India’s independence, we think of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation struggle. With his unique ideals to elevate the standing of the country and its fellow citizens, he was a new awakening. The very first non-cooperative movement left an indelible mark on history. Leaders of superpowers fell down to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas and were profoundly inspired by the non-cooperative movement of 1920–1922. The non-cooperation movement was an outcome of the Rowlatt Act 1919, Jallianwala Bagh massacre 1919, Khilafat movement 1919, and a series of other events.

Rowlatt Act of 1919:

The Rowlatt Act of 1919 enacted legislation that limited people's freedom. It gave the government the authority to arrest and detain persons without a warrant or a trial. Gandhiji protested the Act by holding a Satyagraha Sabha. He urged Americans to join nonviolent strikes and demonstrations to oppose the Rowlatt Act.

The Massacre of Jallianwala Bagh in 1919:

On the eve of the celebration, General Dyer, the military commander of Amritsar, authorised indiscriminate fire on thousands of innocent people in a walled complex of Jallianwala Bagh. Following the terrible killings at Amritsar, Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims withdrew their support for British rule. Rabindranath Tagore launched an anti-British rally.

The 1919 Khilafat Movement:

When Britain put terrible terms on the caliph of Islam or Turkey’s ruler, Indian Muslims were outraged. Under the leadership of Abdul Kalam Azad, Shaukat Ali, and Muhammad Ali, the Khilafat Movement was founded. Mahatma Gandhi became a part of the movement and united it with the non-cooperation movement.

Non-cooperative Movement Brings the Nation Together:

The non-cooperative movement sparked a wave of unity across the country in the fight for independence. Peasants in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal launched no-tax campaigns with the help of the Congress. Furthermore, the tribals of India organized satyagrahas to get access to resources and reduce taxes. Some organised nationwide campaigns against oppressive landlords, corrupt gurudwara mahants, and wage strikes, among other things.

British reaction:

The British government banned the Congress and imprisoned its leaders and volunteers in response to satyagrahas and non-cooperation movements. To put an end to the repression, Gandhiji used civil disobedience.

The Non-Cooperative Movement's Demise:

Twenty-two police officers were killed when a police station in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, was set on fire by non-cooperation activists in February 1922. The violent deed went against Gandhiji's beliefs and the principles of the non-cooperation movement. In 1922, Gandhiji called a halt to the non-cooperation movement, claiming that people were unwilling to collaborate in the face of enormous civil disobedience. Despite the fact that the non-cooperation campaign ended quickly, it sparked a widespread movement for India's independence.

The Rowlatt Act of 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, and the Khilafat movement of 1919 all contributed to Indian unrest. People began to resist. The first non-cooperative movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi to channel their rage against the British. He suggested that the movement be multi-faceted. People would begin abandoning titles, prizes, and other items earned from the British in the first non-cooperative movement. People also boycotted civil service, legislative councils, the army, the police, and the courts. They avoided all British-run schools, colleges, and universities. They also burned imported goods and embraced Swadeshi products. Mahatma Gandhi and Shaukat Ali toured India to raise awareness of their movement.

The Civil-Disobedience Movement:

Furthermore, in response to the government’s repression, a civil disobedience campaign demanding unjust arrests and imprisonment would be initiated. People boycotted the council elections in November 1920. The first non-cooperation movement’s programme was unveiled at a Congress session in Nagpur in December 1920. Several well-known leaders joined the movement, including Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, and C. Rajagopalchari.

Peasants and labourers revolted over low salaries and working conditions, and the first non-cooperation movement spread to the countryside. People all around the country refused to pay their taxes and spoke out against landlord brutality. Villagers, peasants, tribals, and others have grievances that the Congress party seeks to address. Congress attempted to improve education, employment, industrialism, and social and economic circumstances in the United States.

Different people misinterpreted the non-cooperation movement in different ways. The Gundem rebels in Gorakhpur used guerrilla warfare to gain swaraj in Chauri Chaura. They attempted to kill British authorities by setting fire to a police station. Their acts dissatisfied Mahatma Gandhi, who decided to call an end to the non-cooperation movement.

Though this phase of the freedom movement was unsuccessful, it did not deter the fire and desire in every freedom fighter to see the country independent and free. This is a prime example of how failures don't guarantee lack of success, but are rather stepping stones towards it.

Written by: Elima Lucas