Non Co-operation and Khilafat Movement

Non Co-operation Movement

Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms 1919: Dyarchy
In a system called “dyarchy,” the nation-building departments of government — agriculture, education, public works, and the like — were placed under ministers who were individually responsible to the legislature. The departments that made up the “steel frame” of British rule — finance, revenue, and home affairs — were retained by executive councillors who were nominated by the Governor.
The Hunter Committee report praised the actions of general Dyer.
Khilafat Movement
- For support of Turkey
- Khilafat Committee formed under the leadership of Ali Brothers, Maulana Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani
- The promises made to the Khilafat Committee were not kept after the World War.
- The All-India Khilafat Conference held at Delhi in November 1919 decided to withdraw all cooperation from the government if their demands were not met.
- On June 9 1920, the Khilafat Committee at Allahabad unanimously accepted the suggestion of non-cooperation and asked Gandhiji to lead the movement.
Khilafat movement cemented Hindu-Muslim unity
- Gandhiji looked upon the Khilafat agitation as “an opportunity of uniting Hindus and Mohammedans as would not arise in a hundred years”
The non-cooperation movement was launched on August 1, 1920. Lokmanya Tilak passed away on the same day.
People countrywide observed hartal and took out processions.
The congress met in September at Calcutta and accepted non-co-operation as its own.
The programme of non-cooperation included:
- Surrender of titles and honors
- Boycott of government affiliated schools and colleges, law courts, foreign cloth and could be extended to resignation from government services.
- Mass civil disobedience including the non-payment of taxes.
- National schools and colleges were to be set up
- Panchayats were to be established to settle disputes
- Hand-spinning and weaving was encouraged
- People were asked to maintain Hindu-Muslim unity, give up untouchability and observe strict non-violence.
Changes in Congress to attain the new objective:
- At the Nagpur session in 1920 changes in the Constitution of Congress were made.
- The goal of congress was changed from the attainment of self-government by constitutional and legal means to the attainment of Swaraj by peaceful and legitimate means.
- The Congress now had a Working Committee of fifteen members to look after its day to day affairs.
- Provincial congress committees were now organized on a linguistic basis.
- Mahalla and ward committees were formed.
- The membership fee was reduced to 4 annas a years to enable poor to become members.
- This was not without opposition however. Some members still believed in the traditional methods. Leaders like Jinnah, GS Khaparde, Bipin Chandra Pal and Annie Besant left congress during this time.
Gandhiji, along with the Ali brother, undertook a nationwide tour to address people.
Thousands of students left government schools and joined national schools.
The most successful item of the programme was the boycott of foreign cloth.
Picketing of toddy shops was also very popular.
Students let government schools and colleges. IT was during this time that Jamia Milia Islamia of Aligarh, the Bihar Vidyapith, the Kashi Vidyapith and the Gujarat Vidyapith came into existence.
Lawyers such as Deshbandhu CR Das, Motilal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Saifudiin Kitchlew, C Rajagopalachari, Sardar Patel, T Prakasam and Asaf Ali gave up their legal practice.
Tilak Swarajya Fund was started to finance the NCM.
In 1921, Khilafat Committee issued a resolution that no muslim should serve in the British Indian army.
The visit of the Prince of Wales on 17^th November 1921 was observed as a day of hartal all over the country.
The Congress Volunteer Corps emerged as a powerful parallel police.
By December 1921, the government felt that things were going too far and announced a change of policy by declaring the volunteer corps illegal and arresting all those who claimed to be its members.
Thousands of peasants and tenants participated in the movement.
In Punjab, the Akali movement to remove corrupt mahants from the Gurudwaras was started.
Assam: Tea plantation workers went on strike. Midnapore: peasants refused to pay Union Board taxes. Guntur (Chirala): Agitation led by Duggirala Gopalakrishayya Malabar: Mohlahs (muslim peasants) created a powerful anti-zamindari movement.
As the government refused to yield, Gandhiji announced that mass civil disobedience would begin in Bardoli taluqa of Surat.
However, in Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur on 5 February 1922 crowd set fire on a police station and killed some policemen. On hearing this, Gandhiji decided to withdraw the movement.
The congress working committee ratified his decision. Thus, on February 12, 1922, the non-cooperation movement came to an end.
Assessing the Withdrawal:
- Some scholars say that Gandhiji withdrew the movement because he wanted to protect the interests of the propertied class.
- Some argue that there was no logic why a small incident should lead to withdrawal of the movement itself.
- However, government could use Chauri Chaura to justify its repression of the movement.
- If movement was started at that time, it would have been defeated due to the repression of the government.
- Gandhiji was protecting the movement from likely repression, and the people from demoralization.
- Mass movements tend to ebb in some time. Hence, withdrawal is a part of the strategy of mass movements.
Gandhiji was tried in 1922 and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
- He invited the court to award him “the highest penalty that can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime, and what appears to be the highest duty of a citizen”.
Positives out of the non-cooperation movement:
- Congress started commanding the support and sympathy of vast sections of the Indian people.
- Millions of Indians became politically involved. Women were drawn into the movement.
- Muslims participated heavily and communal unity was maintained.
- Strengthened the national movement. Nationalist sentiments and the national movement had reached the remotest corners of the land.
- People gained tremendous self-confidence and self-esteem.

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