Why the Non-Cooperation movement took place?

There were a few reasons why non-Cooperation began:

Jalllianwala Bagh Massacre

On 13th April 1919, a massive and explosive incident took place at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar where peoples were gathered to celebrate the important festival called Baisakhi and peacefully protest the arrest and deportation of two national leaders, Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchen. Dyer and his troops entered the garden, blocking the main entrance behind them, took up position on a raised bank, and with no warning opened fire on the crowd for about ten minutes, directing their bullets largely towards the few open gates through which people were trying to flee until the ammunition supply was almost exhausted.

Hunter Commission was constituted to investigate the incident in which it was held that General Dyer responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, it upheld his reasons for ordering the firing on the unarmed crowd as well as for imposing martial law in Punjab.

 The people of India, due to their clear biases, did not accept the recommendations of the Hunter Committee. There has been unrest among the masses to ensure justice for the wrongs of Punjab has been delivered. In protest, Mahatma Gandhi gave up the Kaiser - I - Hind title granted to him by the British government.

Reforms in Montagu–Chelmsford

The 1919 Government of India Act was enacted based on the 1918 Montagu - Chelmsford proposals recommendations. This Act introduced the ' Dyarchy ' system and divided topics into lists – Reserved and Transferred. The Legislative Assembly (lower house) was introduced with direct elections, but the right to vote was severely curtailed. Also, there was no control over the Governor-General and his Executive Council by the Legislative Assembly.

Indian nationalists, however, had gone far beyond such stopping concessions. The Indian National Congress met under Hasan Imam's presidency at a special session in Bombay in August 1918 and condemned the reforms of Montagu - Chelmsford and instead called for effective self - government.

The Rowlatt Act

The government enacted the 1919 Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, popularly called the Rowlatt Act, based on the findings of the Rowlatt Committee. This act allowed the government to imprison any person suspected of terrorism for a maximum period of two years without trial. The government passed Montagu Chelmsford Reforms and Rowlatt Act in succession, which were part of the British ' Carrot and Stick policy. This action gave the movement a new direction. At all levels of India, Gandhi organized a mass protest.

Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat Movement, which began in 1919, brought the Muslims and the Hindus on a common platform against the British rule, was the most important cause of the Non - Cooperation Movement.

When the Non-Cooperation movement took place?

The Non-Cooperation Movement commenced on 5th September 1920 when demand for full independence was at a high peak. It was proposed by the Indian National Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi at the Congress session in Calcutta. And this signified the beginning of a new chapter in Indian National Movement History. Mahatma Gandhi was the main man behind this idea. In March 1929, he released a manifesto for Non-Violent Non-Cooperation Movement. Through his manifesto, he wanted to convey a message to citizens that:

• Adopt swadeshi principles
• Adopt swadeshi habits including hand spinning & weaving
• Work for the eradication of untouchability from society

This movement was a peaceful and non-violent protest against the British government in India.Indians were asked to relinquish their titles and resign from nominated seats in the local bodies as a mark of protest.People were asked to resign from their government jobs, to withdraw their children from government-controlled or aided schools and colleges, to boycott foreign goods and use only Indian-made goods and also asked to boycott elections to the legislative councils.

They were asked not to serve in the British army. It was also planned that if the above steps didn't bring results, people would refuse to pay their taxes. The INC also demanded Swarajya or self-government.Only completely non-violent means would be employed to get the demands fulfilled.
The non-cooperation movement was a decisive step in the independence movement because, for the first time, the INC was ready to forego constitutional means to achieve self-rule.

Gandhiji had assured that Swaraj would be achieved in a year if this movement was continued to completion.

Where the Non-Cooperation Movement called off?

The Non-Cooperation Movement called off from the place named Chauri-Chaura of Gorakhpur district after the Chauri-Chaura incident. After an angry mob murdered police officers in the village of Chauri Chaura (now in Uttar Pradesh state) in February 1922, Gandhi himself called off the movement; the next month he was arrested without incident. The movement marked the transition of Indian nationalism from a middle-class to a mass basis.

  On 4 February 1922, at the peak of Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement against the colonial administration, an incident in United Provinces’ (now Uttar Pradesh) Chauri Chaura village, in the Gorakhpur district, changed the course of the Indian Independence Movement. Now, 99 years after this incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the centenary celebrations of the incident via video conference Thursday. Celebrations have been planned in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh and will continue till 4 February next year to commemorate its 100th year.

Who were the prominent leaders behind the Non-Cooperation Movement?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Bapu)

  He was a prominent leader of the movement who urged the people to adopt Swadeshi principles and habits, including hand spinning, weaving and work for the removal of untouchability.

C.R. Das (Desh Bandhu)

  He presented the main resolution on the Non-Cooperation Movement during the annual session of the Congress in Nagpur of 1920.

Jawaharlal Nehru

  He carried on the Non-Cooperation Movement propaganda and encouraged the formation of the Kisan Sabha to take up the cause of the peasants exploited by government policies. He was against Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement.

Subhash Chandra Bose

  He supported the movement and resigned from the civil service. He was appointed the principal of the National College in Calcutta.

Motilal Nehru

  He renounced his legal practice in response to the Non-Cooperation Movement called by Gandhi. He was arrested in 1921.

Lala Lajpat Rai

He was initially not in favour of the policy of Non-Cooperation Movement (he was against the boycott of schools) but later he supported the movement. He protested against its withdrawal in 1922.

And many more leaders...

How the Non-cooperation Movement remained successful and unsuccessful?

Achievements of Movement

• It was a mass movement which had never been seen before and after the Great Rebellion of 1857.
• With the Non-Cooperation Movement, nationalist sentiments reached every nook and corner of the country and politicised every stratum of the population—the artisans, peasants, students, urban poor, women, traders, etc.
• This politicisation of men and women which imparted a revolutionary character to the national movement.
• The myth that British rule was invincible was challenged by satyagraha through mass struggle.
• It gave a push to indigenous products thereby helping Indian producers and damaged Britain’s economic and commercial interests.

Failures of Movement

• People from the middle classes led the movement at the beginning but later they showed a lot of reservations about Gandhi’s programme.
• In places like Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, which were centres of elite politicians, the response to Gandhi’s call was very limited.
• The response to the call for resignation from the government service, surrendering of titles, etc., was not taken seriously.
• A section of the big business remained sceptical towards the movement. They seemed to be afraid of labour unrest in their factories.
• People had not learnt or fully understood the method of non-violence. Violent incident in Chauri-Chaura in February 1922 marred the spirit of the movement.
• Gandhi responded by withdrawing Non-Cooperation movement arguing masses have not yet learned to practice non-violence.