Non-Cooperation Movement (1920): Objectives, Programmes & Impact

The Non-Cooperation Movement was a mass protest led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, urging Indians to withdraw support from British institutions and refuse cooperation with colonial rule. Significantly, it marked the first large-scale nonviolent resistance movement in India’s freedom struggle, uniting people across regions and social classes. This article aims to study in detail the causes, objectives, key events, and the impact of the Non-Cooperation Movement on the Indian independence movement.

About Non- Cooperation Movement

• The Non-Cooperation Movement, launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, was a pivotal moment in India’s quest for independence.
• According to Gandhi, British rule in India thrived on Indian cooperation, and if Indians withdrew their support, the British government would lose its power over the country.
• Gandhi persuaded the Indian National Congress to adopt a campaign of non-cooperation on three key issues: the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Khilafat wrongs, and the demand for Swaraj (self-rule).
• The movement marked a shift in the Indian freedom struggle, mobilising millions to resist colonial rule nonviolently.

Background of Non-Cooperation Movement

• India faced immense social, economic, and political hardships following World War I.
• The war disrupted local industries and agriculture, leading to economic challenges such as rising prices, declining production, and increased rents and taxes.
• Additionally, the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre revealed the brutal nature of British rule.
• Disappointment with the Hunter Commission’s lenient treatment of General Dyer, the man behind the massacre, further fueled Indian resentment.
• The Montague-Chelmsford reforms, which fell short of granting India full independence, only added to the unrest.
• Against this backdrop, Gandhi’s call for non-cooperation gained rapid support.

Objectives and Programme of Non-Cooperation Movement

The Non-Cooperation Movement included both positive and negative actions. The negative actions involved:

• Surrendering titles and honours given by the British government.
• Boycotting British-run institutions, including schools, courts, civil services, legislative councils, and foreign goods.

The positive actions emphasised:

• Establishing national schools and colleges to promote indigenous education.
• Setting up arbitration courts.
• Promoting the use of khadi (homespun cloth) as an alternative to British textiles.

Gandhi planned to escalate the movement to a civil disobedience campaign if it failed to achieve Swaraj within a year or faced severe repression.

Causes of Non-Cooperation Movement

• The Non-Cooperation Movement was fueled by multiple factors reflecting Indian discontent with British rule.
• The Rowlatt Act of 1919, which curtailed civil liberties, and the brutal Jallianwala Bagh massacre deeply angered Indians.
• Economic hardships during and after World War I, coupled with exploitation by colonial policies, further fueled resentment.
• The Khilafat Movement, which sought to protect the Ottoman Caliphate, also contributed as Muslims and Hindus united against British indifference to their concerns.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership inspired people to protest through non-violent means, emphasizing the need to reject British goods, institutions, and laws as a step toward self-rule.

Adoption and Implementation of Non-Cooperation Movement

• Despite some concerns within the Congress regarding the possibility of violence, the Non-Cooperation resolution was adopted at the Nagpur session in December 1920.
• The Congress restructured itself to become a true mass organisation with local units at the village and district levels.
• The entry fee was reduced to attract a broader section of Indian society, and the Congress Working Committee was formed to streamline operations.

Phases of Non-Cooperation Movement

• The movement officially began in January 1921, initially drawing participation from the urban middle class.
• Students left British-run schools, and lawyers abandoned their legal practices.
• This phase was accompanied by establishing national schools and creating the Tilak Swaraj Fund, which aimed to raise one crore rupees and recruit an equal number of volunteers.
• The boycott of foreign goods gained significant traction, with the public actively picketing liquor shops and organising large bonfires to burn British cloth.
• Imports of foreign cloth were halved between 1921 and 1922 as local traders and merchants joined the movement by refusing to engage in foreign trade.

Impact of Non-Cooperation Movement

• The movement soon expanded from cities to rural areas, connecting with local peasant and tribal struggles already brewing across the subcontinent.
• In places like Awadh, peasants and tenant farmers found new strength, while in Malabar, the movement took on a communal dimension as Muslim tenants rose against Hindu landlords.
• In other regions, the movement led to defiance of colonial laws and sparked local protests, such as tea plantation strikes in Assam, forest law violations in Andhra, and the Akali movement in Punjab, which aimed at liberating Sikh gurdwaras from corrupt officials.

Government Response and Repression of Non-Cooperation Movement

• As the movement spread, the British government intensified its efforts to suppress it.
• Public meetings were banned, Congress offices were raided, and numerous arrests were made.
• After talks between Gandhi and the Viceroy, Lord Reading failed to alleviate the movement, the government declared volunteer corps illegal, and repression increased.

The Chauri-Chaura Incident and Withdrawal of the Movement

• In February 1922, the movement reached a turning point after the Chauri Chaura incident, where a violent clash between protesters and police resulted in the burning alive of 22 policemen by villagers.
• Disturbed by this turn of events, Gandhi called off the movement on February 12, 1922, emphasising the importance of non-violence.

Legacy of Non-Cooperation Movement

• Following the suspension, Gandhi faced criticism from younger Congress members who felt the movement had been halted prematurely.
• In March 1922, he was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison.
• However, the movement continued in various forms in different parts of India, and Congress passed the Bardoli Resolution, emphasising the need for constructive work.
• The Non-Cooperation Movement was a complex movement involving different levels of public consciousness and visions of freedom.
• Gandhi and the Congress needed to define Swaraj, allowing people to interpret it differently clearly.

Consequences of Non-Cooperation Movement

Negatives

• The movement still needs to achieve its immediate objective of Swaraj.
• Success varied across regions, often depending more on local issues than on Congress mobilisation.
• Middle-class participation was limited due to the high cost of khadi and inadequate Swadeshi alternatives.
• Some industrialists opposed the total boycott of foreign goods.

Positives

• It was the first mass movement involving diverse groups, including peasants, workers, and tribals.
• The economic boycott and anti-liquor campaigns were successful in many regions.
• Hindu-Muslim unity was largely maintained, except in Malabar.
• The movement set the foundation for future struggles, showing the potential of mass mobilisation against colonial rule.

Conclusion

The Non-Cooperation Movement was a defining moment in the Indian independence struggle, marking the first nationwide, nonviolent mass movement. It mobilised millions of Indians, bringing them into the freedom struggle and solidifying Gandhi’s role as a national leader. Although it did not achieve Swaraj, it laid the groundwork for future movements. It inspired Indians to believe in their power to challenge colonial rule, underscoring the potential of nonviolent resistance on India’s path to independence.

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