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History & Civics

With reference to the following points, describe the events that led to the launching of the Non-Cooperation Movement by the Congress :

(a) The Rowlatt Act.

(b) The Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy.

(c) The Khilafat Movement.

Mahatma Gandhi

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Answer

(a) The British Government passed the Rowlatt Act in March, 1919. It gave powers to the Government to arrest and to detain suspected persons and to search them without a warrant and to imprison them without a trial. Any person under this Act had no right to Appeal, Vakil and Dalil.

(b) A peaceful meeting was held at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919 to protest against the arrest of principal leaders of the Congress, Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew. General Dyer reached there and ordered his troops to open fire on the unarmed people. Firing continued till all the ammunition was exhausted. About 1,000 persons were shot dead and several thousands were wounded. They could not escape because there was only one narrow exit to the Bagh. It was followed by a series of humiliating orders. Curfew was imposed in the city. The water and electricity supply were cut off. People were flogged and put in jails. People were made to crawl in lanes. Arrested persons were confined in cages, property was confiscated or destroyed.

(c) The Allies had divided the territories of the Turkish Empire among themselves. They also abolished the office of the Khalifa in Turkey. It aroused the anger of the Muslims in India. They started a powerful agitation known as the Khilafat Movement under the leadership of the Ali Brothers — Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali. Gandhiji supported this agitation. A Khilafat Committee was formed under the leadership of Hakim Ajmal Khan, Maulana Azad, the Ali Brothers and Hasrat Mohani. The All India Khilafat Committee in May 1920, adopted its non-cooperation programme to fight against the British and on 31 August 1920 launched a non-cooperation movement. People were requested to follow the policy of boycott of British goods, institutions, law courts, etc. They were requested not to pay taxes and to surrender their titles and distinctions.

However, the Khilafat Movement finally merged with the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Gandhiji, when Mustafa Kamal Pasha dethroned the Turkish Sultan and declared Turkey a secular republic. It left a strong sentiment of Hindu-Muslim unity. It played an important part in strengthening the nationalist feeling and led to political awakening.

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