Mahatma Gandhi launched three major movements in his fight against the British. With reference to the Gandhian Movements answer the following:

(i) Mention any three causes of the Non-cooperation Movement.

(ii) What were the causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement? Which march marked the beginning of this movement?

(iii) The Gandhi Irwin Pact was an attempt to end political tensions in India. Mention any four clauses of this Pact to justify this statement.

(i) There were three main reasons behind the Non-cooperation movement:

1. Rowlatt Act: The Rowlatt Act authorised the Government to imprison any person without trial and convict him in a court. It implied:
   1. Arrest of a person without warrant.
   2. In camera trial (trial in seclusion).
   3. Restrictions on movements of individuals.
   4. Suspension of the Right of Habeas Corpus.

Gandhiji appealed to the Viceroy to withhold his consent to the Rowlatt Act. However his appeal was ignored. He started 'Satyagraha' as a challenge to the government.

2. Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy: Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy happened in Amritsar on April 13, 1919. On that day, peaceful gathering had assembled at Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the Rowlatt Act. Without any warning, General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on the unarmed crowd, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. It was made clear to the Indians that the British had no intention of parting with political power or sharing it with Indians.

3. Khilafat Movement: In the First World War Turkey was defeated and the Sultan of Turkey, who was the Caliph was deprived of all authority. The Muslim population in India started a powerful agitation known as the Khilafat Movement, under the leadership of the Ali Brothers. 'Khilafat Day' was observed on October 17, 1919 on an all-India scale. Gandhiji took the chance to unite Hindus and Muslims. Mahatma Gandhi was elected as President of the All-India Khilafat Conference in November 1919. He advised the Khilafat Committee to adopt a policy of Non-Cooperation with the Government.

(ii) The causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement are given below:

1. Opposition to the Salt Tax — The British imposed the salt tax, which made salt production and sale by Indians illegal. The tax was seen as deeply unfair because it affected all sections of society, especially the poor, who relied on salt for everyday consumption. Gandhi’s Salt March (Dandi March) in 1930 directly challenged this oppressive tax.
2. Simon Commission — In November 1927, the British Government appointed the Simon Commission to assess the need for constitutional reforms. Composed of seven British MPs, it had no Indian members, which was seen as an insult to India's self-respect and a violation of self-determination. The Congress, Muslim League, and Hindu Mahasabha decided to boycott the commission in all forms.
3. Nehru Report (1928) — Lord Birkenhead justified the exclusion of Indians from the Simon Commission by claiming they were divided on reforms. To counter this, an All Parties Conference was held in 1928, uniting leaders from various groups. Motilal Nehru chaired the committee, with Tej Bahadur Sapru and N.C. Kelkar as key members. Their report became known as the Nehru Report. The Nehru Report proposed:
   1. Dominion Status for India.
   2. A Parliament with a Senate (200 members, elected for 7 years) and a House of Representation (500 members, elected for 5 years through adult franchise).
   3. Joint electorates with minority seat reservations (except in Punjab and Bengal), based on population.
   4. Creation of new provinces on a linguistic basis.
   5. 19 Fundamental Rights, including voting rights, freedom from arbitrary arrest, and freedom of conscience.
4. Demand for Poorna Swaraj (Complete Freedom) — When the British Government gave no positive response to the Nehru Report, then the Congress, under the presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1929 (at Lahore Session), passed a resolution declaring Poorna Swaraj (Complete Freedom) as the ultimate objective of the Congress.

On 12th March, Mahatma Gandhi began the historic march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a village on the Gujarat sea coast to break the Salt law. This Dandi March marked the beginning of this movement.

(iii) The Gandi-Irwin Pact was signed by Gandhiji and Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy, in March 1931. Four clauses of this Pact are:

1. The government agreed to release all political prisoners, except those guilty of violence.
2. The government agreed to permit the free collection or manufacture of salt by persons near the seacoast.
3. The Congress areed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement.
4. The Congress areed to participate in the second session of the Round Table Conference.