Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Bapu or Mahatma

Gandhi, completely dominated the Indian National Movement from 1919 to

1948. That is why, this period is known as the Gandhian era in Indian
history.

EARLY LIFE
Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869 at Porbandar in the Kathiawad district of
Gujarat. His father was the Diwan of Rajkot State. In 1888, he went to
England to study Law. On completing his studies, he came back to India and
started practising Law at Rajkot. From 1893 to 1914, he practised Law in
South Africa. He returned to India in Jan. 1915.

Champaran Satyagraha(1917):
Gandhiji's first great experiment in Satyagraha was accomplished in 1917 in
Champaran, Bihar. The indigo cultivators of Champaran were greatly
exploited by European planters. They were bound by law to grow indigo on
3/20th of their land and sell it to the British planters at prices fixed by them.

Ahmedabad Satyagraha (1918):

Gandhiji led the mill-workers of Ahmedabad in a strike against the mill-
owners who had refused to pay them higher wages. When the workers
seemed to weaken, he provided support to them by undertaking a fast.

Kheda Satyagraha (1918):

Crops failed in Kheda and the peasants were not in a position to pay land
revenue. The government refused to forgo the land revenue. Gandhiji
organised the peasants to offer Satyagraha.

NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT
Non-cooperation is 'a way of protesting in which one does not co-operate
with the evil-doer.'

CAUSES THAT LED TO THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

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1. Rowlatt Act: It was passed in March 1919. This Act authorised the
Government to imprison any person without trial and convict him in a court.
The Rowlatt Act implied:
(i) Arrest of a person without warrant.
(ii) In camera trial (trial in seclusion).
(iii) Restrictions on movements of individuals.
(iv) Suspension of the Right of Habeas Corpus.

The Act came like a sudden blow to the Indians who were expecting self-
governance. Gandhiji appealed to the Viceroy to withhold his consent to
such measures. However, his appeal was ignored. He started 'Satyagraha as
a challenge to the government.

2. Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy: A large but peaceful crowd gathered at the

Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, to protest against the arrest
of leaders like Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satya Pal.

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Jallianwala Bagh had only one exit, its other three sides were enclosed by
buildings. General Dyer, the military Commander of Amritsar surrounded the
Bagh (garden) with his soldiers. After closing the exit with his troops, he
ordered them to shoot at the crowd. The troops kept on firing till their
ammunition was exhausted. About one thousand
innocent demonstrators were killed and many more
wounded.
Tagore expressed the pain and anger of the country by
returning his Knighthood.

3. Khilafat Movement: Turkey was defeated

in First World War and Sultan of Turkey
(Caliph) was deprived all power. The Muslim
population in India started a powerful
agitation known as the Khilafat Movement,
under the leadership of the Ali Brothers -
Mohammed Ali and Shaukat Ali.
Gandhiji saw in the Khilafat Movement a
chance for uniting Hindus and Muslims.
Mahatma Gandhi was elected as President of the All-India Khilafat
Conference in November 1919.
By the end of 1920, the Khilafat Movement and the Congress Non-
Cooperation Movement merged into one nationwide movement.

OBJECTIVES OF THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

The Non-Cooperation Movement sought to achieve the following objectives:
(i) To attain self-government within the British Empire if possible and
outside if necessary.
(ii) Cancel of the Rowlatt Act and correcting the Punjab wrong,
(iii) Remedying the Khilafat wrong,

PROGRAMMES
Boycott programmes
• Boycott of elections to be held for the Councils as suggested by the
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 reforms of 1919.
• Resignation from nominated seats in local bodies.
• Surrender of titles and honorary offices.
• Refusal to attend government functions.

Swadeshi programmes
• Popularisation of Swadeshi and Khadi by
reviving hand-spinning and hand-weaving.
• Removal of untouchability and other
measures for Harijan welfare.

ACTIVITIES DURING NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

The nation enthusiastically responded to the call of Gandhiji. The people
were ready to practise non-cooperation with the government in every field.
• Lawyers gave up their legal practice.
• Students left schools and colleges.
• The Congress boycotted the elections to the legislatures by not putting up
candidates for the first elections to the Councils.
• Charkhas were manufactured for the people to spin cloth. Gandhiji himself
started spinning.
• The Jamia Millia Islamia was established as a national university. The
Bihar Vidyapith, Kashi Vidyapith and the Gujarat Vidyapith, were the other
national universities that were established with teachers like Acharya
Narendra Dev, Dr. Zakir Hussain and Lala Lajpat Rai.
• Rabindranath Tagore and many other distinguished citizens of India gave
up their titles and awards. Gandhiji returned the medals that were awarded
for his work in South Africa.
• People contributed generously to finance the movement.
• Shops selling foreign goods and liquor were picketed. Foreign cloth was
burnt in market places.
• In Kheda, Gujarat, many peasants organised non-violent campaigns
against the high land revenue.

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• In many forest villages, peasants proclaimed 'Swaraj' and believed that
'Gandhi Raj' was about to be established.
• The Prince of Wales came to India in 1921. The people boycotted his visit
at Mumbai, observed a hartal and arranged a meeting on the beach. The
mob turned unruly and riots followed. The police opened fire and killed 59
people.

REPRESSION BY THE GOVERNMENT

The Government took severe measures to suppress the movement. Under
Gandhiji's inspiration, prison lost its terror and became a place of
pilgrimage. All important leaders except Gandhiji were arrested and sent to
jail.
Processions and public meetings were banned. The Khilafat and the
Congress volunteer organisations were declared illegal. Unfortunately the
whole movement was abruptly called off on February 12, 1922, at Gandhiji's
insistence, following the news of the Chauri Chaura incident.

SUSPENSION OF THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

Chauri Chaura: The tragedy at Chauri Chaura, a village in Gorakhpur district
in Uttar Pradesh, occurred on February 5, 1922. A procession of about 3,000
peasants marched to the police station to protest against the police officer
who had beaten some volunteers picketing a liquor shop. The police fired at
the peasants. This angered the demonstrators and they set the nearby
police station on fire, killing 22 policemen who were inside the police
station.
Gandhiji suspended the Non Cooperation movement.

IMPACT OF THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

1. The National Movement Became a Mass Movement: The Indian national
movement, for the first time in history, acquired a real mass base with the
participation of different sections of Indian society such as peasants,
workers, students, teachers and women.
2. Instilled Confidence Among the People: It generated a desire for freedom
and inspired people to challenge the colonial rule.

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3. The Congress Became a Revolutionary Movement: It transformed the
Indian National Congress from a deliberative assembly into an organisation
for action. It became the organiser and leader of the masses in their national
struggle.
4. Fostered Hindu-Muslim Unity: It fostered Hindu-Muslim unity which could
be seen in the merger of the Khilafat issue with this Movement. It provided
an opportunity to the Congress to bring the urban Muslims into the National
Movement.
5. Promoted Social Reforms: As a consequence of the Non-Cooperation
Movement several steps were taken in the direction of prohibition and
removal of untouchability.
6. Spread Nationalism to Every Part of the Country: The Movement gave a
new boost to nationalism in India.
7. Popularised the Cult of Swaraj: The goal of the Non-Cooperation
Movement was to attain Swaraj within the British empire, if possible, and
outside, if necessary.

FACTORS LEADING UPTO CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

This movement was to be different from the Non-Cooperation movement in
the sense that the Non-Cooperation movement (1921-22) sought to bring the
working of the government to a standstill by not cooperating with the
administration, whereas the Civil Disobedience Movement was an attempt at
paralysing the administration by breaking some specific rules and
regulations.

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1. Simon Commission: In November 1927, the British Government appointed
the Indian Statutory Commission, popularly known as the Simon
Commission, (after the its Chairman Sir John Simon) to suggest the need for
further constitutional reforms. The Commission was composed of seven
British members of Parliament. It had no Indian member. It was deliberate
insult to the self-respect of the Indians.

Recommendations of Simon Commission:

The following were the recommendations of the commission:
1. Dyarchy should be abolished and there should be complete autonomy in
the Provinces, but the Governor should be given overriding powers in
certain matters like the internal security.
2. Provincial Legislative Councils should be enlarged.
3. Federal government at the Centre, should embrace not only British India
but also the Princely States.
4. The Governor-General should select and appoint members of his Cabinet.
5. British troops and British officers should stay on in Indian regiments for
many more years.
6. High Courts should be under the administrative control of the
Government of India.

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NEHRU REPORT (1928)
Lord Birkenhead, said that the Indians were not united and could not arrive
at an 'agreed scheme of reforms'. So All-Parties Conference was called in
1928 to take up the challenge posed by Lord Birkenhead.
Motilal Nehru was made chairman. The report submitted by the All Parties
Conference is known as the Nehru Report. The Nehru Report proposed:
1. Dominion Status for India;
2. That the Parliament of India should consist of-
(a) the Senate elected for 7 years, containing 200 members elected by the
Provincial Councils and
(b) the House of Representation with 500 members elected for five years
through adult franchise;
3. Joint electorates with reservation of seats for minorities.
4. Creation of 'new provinces' on linguistic basis;
5. 'Nineteen Fundamental Rights' including the right to vote, freedom from
arbitrary arrest, searches and seizures and freedom of conscience.

2. Declaration of Poorna Swaraj: Jawaharlal Nehru was made the President

of the Congress at the historic Lahore session of 1929. It passed a
resolution declaring Poorna Swaraj (complete independence) to be objective
of the Congress.
(i) Preparation for Civil Disobedience.
(ii) Declaration of Poorna Swaraj resolution,
(iii) Observance of 26th of January as the 'Poorna Swaraj' day, all over the
country with the hoisting of the tricolour flag.
(iv) Resignations by members of the legislature.
(v) Withdrawal from all possible association with the British Government.
It was decided to observe January 26, as the Day of Independence every
year.

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT (1930-1934)

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Before starting the movement, Gandhiji served on the British government a
'Eleven Point Ultimatum' to Lord Irwin.

DANDI MARCH
On 12th March, Mahatma Gandhi
began the historic march from
Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.
He had selected to attack the Salt
Laws because the salt-tax affected
all sections of society, especially
the poor. Gandhiji's breaking of the
Salt Laws marked the beginning of
the Civil Disobedience Movement.

THE PROGRAMME OF THE MOVEMENT

Civil Disobedience Movement involved:
(i) Defiance of Salt Laws,
(ii) Boycott of liquor,
(iii) Boycott of foreign cloth and British goods of all kinds, and
(iv) Non-payment of taxes and revenues.

THE PROGRESS OF THE MOVEMENT

The movement spread rapidly. Violation of Salt Laws all over the country
was soon followed by defiance of forest laws and refusal to pay the rural
chaukidari tax in Eastern India.
Everywhere in the country people joined hartals, demonstrations and the
campaign to boycott foreign goods and refused to pay taxes. Lakhs of
Indians offered Satyagraha. The boycott of British goods and the picketing
of liquor shops were a part of the daily programme.

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Under the leadership of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as The
Frontier Gandhi', the Pathans organised
the society of Khudai Khidmatgars (or
Servants of God), known popularly as Red
Shirts. They were pledged to non-violence
and the freedom struggle.

In Nagaland, Rani Gaidilieu, at the age of 13 responded to Gandhiji's call and

raised the banner of revolt against the British rule.
Civil Disobedience Movement resulted in mass strikes and setting up of
parallel governments in several places.

REPRESSION BY THE GOVERNMENT

The Government resorted to firing, lathi charges and large scale
imprisonment. Over 90,000 Satyagrahis including Congress leaders and
Gandhiji were imprisoned. The Congress was declared illegal and severe
restrictions were imposed on the nationalist Press.
Protest meetings were held everywhere. The textile and railway workers of
Mumbai went on strike. There were instances of firing at Delhi and Kolkata.

ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE

The Indian Round Table Conference held three sessions which are also
referred to as the First, Second and Third Round Table Conferences.
First Round Table Conference (November 12, 1930 to January 19, 1931): The
first Round Table Conference was held in London. The Congress, which was
unhappy with the report of Simon Commission boycotted the conference
but other political parties and interest groups were well represented.
The British realised the no use of holding a conference without the
representatives of the Congress.

GANDHI-IRWIN PACT

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This resulted in the signing of a pact by Gandhiji and Lord Irwin, the
Viceroy, in March 1931. This is known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. The
government agreed to:
(i) Withdraw all ordinances and end prosecutions.
(ii) Release all political prisoners, except those guilty of violence.
(iii) Permit peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops.

The Congress, in its turn, agreed to the following:

(i) To suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement.
(ii) To participate in the second session of the Round Table Conference.
(iii) Not to press for investigation into police excesses.

Second Round Table Conference (September 7 to December 1, 1931): It was

attended by Gandhiji as per the terms of the Gandhi Irwin Pact of 1931. The
conference was soon deadlocked on the minorities issue, with separate
electorates being demanded now not only by Muslims but also by the
Depressed Classes, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans.

Third Round Table Conference (November 17, 1932 to December 24, 1932): It
was attended by 46 delegates only. The Indian National Congress refused to
attend the conference.
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar demanded separate electorate for the Depressed
Classes. Ramsay Macdonald announced an award known as the Communal
Award. This award provided separate representation to the Muslims,
Buddhists, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Europeans and the
Depressed Classes.
Mahatma Gandhi strongly opposed this award on the grounds that it would
distingrate Indian society and started a fast in protest against it.
On 25 September, 1932, the agreement known as Poona Pact was signed
between Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and the Congress. The agreement provided
reservation of seats for the depressed classes in the Provisional
legislatures.

Renewal of Civil Disobedience Movement:

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After the failure of the talks at the Second Session of the Round Table
Conference, Gandhiji came back to India.
On January 4, 1932, Gandhiji was arrested.
Government resorted to repression, issued Ordinances and assumed
special powers. The Congress was declared illegal. Congress leaders were
arrested and their properties were seized. Communalism was fanned.
Gradually the Civil Disobedience Movement lost its force. Congress called it
off in 1934. Gandhiji withdrew himself from active politics for a year.

IMPACT OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

1. The Government withdrew the ban on the Congress in June 1934.
2. It brought women out of their homes to participate in politics and to make
them equal partners in the freedom struggle.
3. The Government of India Act, 1935, introduced the principle of a
Federation and the principle of Provincial Autonomy; i.e., responsible
Government in the Provinces.
4. The movement revived the will to fight the elections.

DR. BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR'S CONTRIBUTION

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb was one of the
architects of the Indian Constitution. He was a well-
known economist, politician, social reformer and an
eminent jurist. Babasaheb's efforts to remove the social
evils.
Bhimrao Ambedkar was born to Ramji Maloji Sakpal and
Bhimabai Sakpal on April 14, 1891 in Mhow in Madhya
Pradesh.
From his childhood days, Babasaheb had to face caste
discrimination.
His first organised attempt to achieve this was the Bahishkrit Hitakarini
Sabha to promote education and socio-economic improvement, as well as
the welfare of depressed classes. For the protection of Dalit rights he
started many periodicals like Mook Nayak, Bahishkrit Bharat, and Equality
Janta.

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Babasaheb was appointed as independent India's first Law Minister, and
also the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, set up by the
Assembly to write India's new Constitution.
Babasaheb passed away at his home in Delhi on December 6, 1956.

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