The Non-Cooperation Movement was the first mass movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi. It received widespread support from the general public. In urban areas, the middle class fully supported it, while in rural areas, farmers and tribal communities supported it. The working class also participated. Thus, it became the first truly mass movement. During World War I (1914-1918), the British imposed restrictions on the press and acquired the power to imprison people without trial. These harsh measures were continued based on the recommendations of a committee chaired by Sir Sydney Rowlatt. In response, Mahatma Gandhi launched a nationwide campaign against this law (the Rowlatt Act). In cities across North and West India, life virtually came to a standstill as shops and schools closed in support of the movement. Gandhi and local Congress leaders were arrested.
On April 13, 1919, people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, some to protest the arrest of their leaders and others to attend a fair. Since they were outside the city limits, they were unaware that martial law had been imposed. General Dyer arrived with his troops and opened fire on the peaceful gathering. This massacre became known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It was condemned throughout the country.
In protest, the police opened fire on a peaceful procession in Chauri-Chaura, Uttar Pradesh. An angry mob set fire to the police station, killing some policemen. These events led Gandhi to withdraw the movement, stating, "The Satyagrahis need further training. Therefore, we will resume the movement after this training."
The Beginning of the Non-Cooperation Movement
The Non-Cooperation Movement officially began on August 1, 1920, and the Congress formally adopted it as its official movement by passing a resolution at its session in Kolkata on September 4, 1920. Those who wanted to end British colonialism in India were urged not to attend schools, colleges, or courts, and to refuse to pay taxes – Nitin Sinha was one of them. In short, everyone was asked to abstain from all forms of cooperation with the British government. Gandhi stated that if non-cooperation was sincerely followed, India would achieve self-rule (Swaraj) within one year. Further extending his movement, he supported the Khilafat Movement, which demanded the restoration of the Caliphate, a symbol of Pan-Islamism, which had recently been abolished by the Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk.
Preparing for the Movement
Gandhi hoped that by combining the Non-Cooperation Movement with the Khilafat Movement, the two main communities in India—Hindus and Muslims—would unite to end colonial rule. These movements certainly generated a wave of mass activism, unprecedented in colonial India. Students boycotted government schools and colleges. Lawyers refused to appear in court. Workers went on strike in many cities. According to government figures, 396 strikes involving six lakh workers in 1921 resulted in a loss of 70 lakh rupees. Discontent also spread to rural areas. Hill tribes defied forest laws. Peasants in Awadh refused to pay taxes. Peasants in Kumaon refused to carry goods for colonial officials. Sometimes, these acts of resistance were carried out even against the orders of local nationalist leaders. Peasants, workers, and others interpreted the movement according to their own understanding; they acted according to their own interests rather than merely following orders, thus giving their own meaning to 'non-cooperation' with colonial rule.
Louis Fischer, the American biographer of Mahatma Gandhi, wrote that "Non-cooperation became synonymous with an era in the life of India and Gandhi. Its approach to peace was negative, but its impact was very positive. It required protest, sacrifice, and discipline. It was a training ground for self-rule." For the first time since the Revolt of 1857, the Non-Cooperation Movement shook the foundations of British rule.
The decision to end the movement
On February 4, 1922, in the village of Chauri-Chaura in the Gorakhpur district, the police attempted to forcibly stop a procession, leading to an angry mob setting fire to the police station, resulting in the deaths of one police officer and 22 constables. This incident deeply affected Gandhiji. In his article in Young India on February 12, 1922, in which he wrote about the decision to end the Non-Cooperation Movement at the Congress meeting in Bardoli, Gandhiji stated, "To prevent the movement from turning violent, I am prepared to bear any insult, any harsh treatment, even death." Following this, Gandhiji focused his attention on constructive work.
Leaders' Opinions
Regarding the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement, Motilal Nehru remarked, "If a village in Kanyakumari violated the principle of non-violence, should a village in the Himalayas be punished for it?" Responding to this, Subhas Chandra Bose stated, "Ordering the withdrawal of the movement at a time when public enthusiasm was at its peak was a major disaster for the country." The suspension of the movement affected Gandhi's popularity. On March 10, 1922, Gandhi was arrested, and Judge Broomfield sentenced him to six years in prison for inciting sedition. He was released on February 5, 1924, due to poor health.
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