📜 Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922) – A Detailed Overview

The Non-Cooperation Movement (NCM) was a mass protest against British rule, launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. It was the first large-scale, nationwide movement aimed at boycotting British institutions and goods through non-violent resistance (Satyagraha).

This movement marked the first time Indian masses actively participated in the struggle for independence. However, it was suspended in 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident, where violence erupted.

🔹 Background & Causes of the Movement

📌 Failure of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919)

• The Government of India Act, 1919 introduced limited self-governance, but the British retained control over key areas.
• Indians felt the reforms were inadequate and a betrayal.

📌 Rowlatt Act (1919) & Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)

• The Rowlatt Act allowed the British to arrest Indians without trial, leading to massive protests.
• On April 13, 1919, British troops under General Dyer fired on peaceful protestors in Jallianwala Bagh, killing over 1,000 people.
• This shocked the nation and fueled anger against British rule.

📌 Khilafat Movement (1919-1924)

• The British dismantled the Ottoman Caliphate, angering Indian Muslims, who saw it as an attack on Islam.
• Gandhi allied with the Ali brothers (Shaukat Ali & Mohammad Ali) to support the Khilafat Movement, making NCM a Hindu-Muslim united struggle.

📌 Gandhi’s Leadership & Call for Non-Cooperation

• Gandhi declared that Indians should stop cooperating with the British and prepare for self-rule (Swaraj) through non-violence.
• The Congress officially adopted the Non-Cooperation Movement in the Nagpur Session (1920).

📜 Launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)

📌 Start Date: August 1, 1920
📌 Leader: Mahatma Gandhi
📌 Main Protest: Boycott of British goods, services, and institutions

🔹 Key Features of the Movement

📌 Boycott of British Institutions:
✅ Students left British-run schools and colleges.
✅ Lawyers like C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, and Rajendra Prasad stopped practicing in British courts.
✅ Indians resigned from government jobs and boycotted foreign goods.

📌 Promotion of Swadeshi Movement:
✅ Use of khadi (hand-spun cloth) was encouraged.
✅ Foreign clothes, liquor, and British goods were burnt in protests.

📌 Surrender of British Honors & Titles:
✅ Prominent leaders like Ravindranath Tagore renounced British titles.
✅ Gandhi returned his Kaiser-i-Hind medal given by the British.

📌 Peaceful Protests & Mass Participation:
✅ Workers, peasants, women, and students joined the movement.
✅ Hindu-Muslim unity was strong due to the Khilafat Movement.

📌 Parallel Government in Some Areas:
✅ In some regions, people started setting up their own local governance, refusing to recognize British authority.

📜 British Response & Repression

📌 Brutal Crackdown

• British arrested thousands of protesters and leaders, including Gandhi.
• Censorship of newspapers, banning public meetings, and violent police action.

📌 Protesters Faced Lathi Charges & Jail

• Many protesters were beaten, jailed, or fined for their participation.
• Despite this, the movement continued to gain strength.

📌 Rise of Extremist Leaders

• Some revolutionaries, frustrated with British repression, turned to armed struggle, such as Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad.

📜 Suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1922) – Chauri Chaura Incident

📌 What Happened?

• On February 5, 1922, in Chauri Chaura (Uttar Pradesh), angry protestors set fire to a police station, killing 22 British policemen.
• This went against Gandhi’s principles of non-violence.

📌 Gandhi’s Reaction

• Deeply disappointed by the violence, Gandhi called off the movement on February 12, 1922.
• This disheartened many nationalists, who felt that the struggle should continue.

📌 Arrest of Gandhi

• Gandhi was arrested in March 1922 and sentenced to six years in prison (but was released in 1924 due to health issues).

📜 Impact & Significance of the Non-Cooperation Movement

✅ First Nationwide Mass Movement

• It was the first large-scale national movement involving millions of Indians from all classes.

✅ Hindu-Muslim Unity Strengthened

• The Khilafat Movement & NCM united Hindus and Muslims in a common cause.

✅ British Rule Weakened

• The British faced serious administrative and economic challenges due to mass boycotts.

✅ Rise of Swaraj (Self-Rule) Demand

• Inspired future movements, leading to Civil Disobedience (1930) and Quit India Movement (1942).

❌ However, the movement had limitations:

• It did not achieve complete independence.
• Some sections of society, like businessmen and zamindars, did not support the movement fully.
• Violence (like Chauri Chaura) weakened the cause of non-violence.

📜 Conclusion

The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922) was a milestone in India’s struggle for independence. It was the first large-scale, peaceful mass protest against British rule, proving that Indians could unite and challenge colonial authority.

Although it did not achieve immediate independence, it mobilized millions, shook British rule, and laid the foundation for future movements like the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) and Quit India Movement (1942).