Non-Cooperation & Khilafat Movement

Motivation behind the two movements was provided by a series of events after World War I, which belied all hopes of government’s generosity towards Indian subjects.

• Economic situation in the post-War period: Almost all sections of society suffered economic hardship due to the war, and this strengthened anti-British attitude.
• Enhanced Repression: Rowlatt Act, Imposition of martial law in Punjab and Jallianwala Bagh massacre exposed brutal & uncivilised face of the foreign rule.
• Injustice of Hunter Committee on Punjab atrocities proved to be an eyewash.
• Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms with their ill-conceived scheme of dyarchy failed to satisfy the rising demand of the Indians for self-government.
• Other events brought Hindu and Muslim communities closer to launch movements.
  • Lucknow Pact (1916) stimulated Congress-Muslim League cooperation.
  • Rowlatt Act agitation brought Hindus and Muslims, and other sections of society, together.
  • Radical nationalist Muslims like Muhammad Ali, Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan, and Hasan Imam had now become more influential than the conservative Aligarh school elements who had dominated the League earlier.

Khilafat Issue

Muslims were angered by the treatment meted out to Turkey by the British after World War I. Muslims in India, like Muslims all over the world, regarded the Sultan of Turkey as their spiritual leader, Khalifa, so naturally, their sympathies were with Turkey. During the war, Turkey allied with Germany and Austria against the British. When the war ended, the British took a stern attitude towards Turkey—Turkey was dismembered and Khalifa was removed from power. This incensed Muslims all over the world.

Indian Muslims demanded from the British:

• Khalifa’s control over Muslim sacred places should be retained.
• Khalifa should be left with sufficient territories after territorial arrangements.

Khilafat Committee

A committee was formed under the leadership of Ali’s brothers (Shaukat Ali and Muhammad Ali), Maulana Azad, Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani.

Congress & Khilafat Movement

• Gandhi (head of Khilafat committee) was in favour of launching Satyagraha and Non-Cooperation against the government on Khilafat issue. However, Congress was not united on this form of political action.
• Tilak was opposed to having an alliance with Muslim leaders over religious issues and sceptical of satyagraha as an instrument of politics. Gandhi made a concerted bid to convince Tilak of the virtues of satyagraha and the expediency of an alliance with Muslim community over Khilafat issue.
• There was opposition to some of the other provisions of Gandhi’s non-cooperation program like a boycott of councils.
• Gandhi in the end was able to convince Congress and the latter also obliged the same because:
  • It was felt that this was a golden opportunity to cement Hindu-Muslim unity and to bring Muslim masses into the National movement.
  • Congress was losing faith in constitutional struggle, especially after the Punjab incidents and the blatantly partisan Hunter Committee Report.
  • Congress was aware that the masses were eager to give expression to their discontent.
• Muslim league decided to give full support to Congress for the cause.

February 1920	A joint Hindu-Muslim deputation was sent to Viceroy to seek redress of grievances on the issue of Khilafat.
May 1920	Treaty of Sevres with Turkey was signed which completely dismembered Turkey.
June 1920	An all-party conference at Allahabad approved a program of a boycott of schools, colleges and law courts
August 1920	Khilafat Committee started a campaign of non-cooperation, and the movement was formally launched.
September 1920	At a special session in Calcutta, Congress approved a non-cooperation program till the Punjab and Khilafat wrongs were removed and swaraj was established.
December 1920	At Nagpur session of National Congress:(i) Program of non-cooperation was endorsed.(ii) An important change was made in the Congress creed: now, instead of having the attainment of self-government through constitutional means as its goal, Congress decided to have the attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means, thus committing itself to an extra-constitutional mass struggle.

Organisational Changes in Congress

• Some important organisational changes were made:
  • Congress working committee (CWC) of 15 members was set up to lead Congress from now onwards.
  • A provincial congress committee on a linguistic basis were organized.
  • Ward committees were organized.
  • Entry fee was reduced to four annas.
• Gandhi declared that if the non-cooperation program was implemented completely, swaraj would be ushered in within a year.
• Many groups of revolutionary terrorists, especially those from Bengal, also pledged support to the Congress program.
• Organized by Mahatma Gandhi to induce British government of India to grant self-government, or swaraj, to India. It was one of Gandhi’s first organized acts of large-scale civil disobedience.

Events that led to Non-Cooperation Movement

• Indians were dissatisfied with GOI Act 1919 as they were expecting autonomy at the end of World War-I in return for their support to the British.
• Peasants suffered as the prices of agricultural products did not increase.
• Faith in the British system of justice was broken due to Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and Hunter Committee.
• Khilafat issue played an important part in launching the NCM.
• Droughts, epidemics, and high inflation also contributed to their unpopularity.
• Gandhi launched NCM on 1^st of August 1920. Nagpur Session of Congress clearly defined the objective and the steps of NCM. It had adopted the aim of ‘Swaraj.’ Lala Lajpat Rai also passed away on the same day.

New Direction to India’s Freedom Struggle

• Was a mass movement it reached from Indian peasants, workers, artisans, shopkeepers, and traders to professionals.
• Became the first contact for many of them with nationalist politics and the ideology of nationalism.
• Poor people, by their courage, sacrifice, and fortitude in the face of adversity, dispelled the notion that the desire for national freedom was the preserve of the educated and rich. Now freedom became an elemental urge common to all.
•  Hindus and Muslims both participated, thereby bridging the gap caused due to British policies.
• Contributed to the rise of local movements. Ex. In Assam, labourers on tea plantations went on strike. Defiance of forest laws becomes popular in Andhra.
• Commanded the strength and sympathy of vast sections of society. Even after its withdrawal, a different line of political activities came up to keep up the spirit of resistance, and it gave a new direction to India’s freedom struggle.
• Both constructive and destructive programs were included. 

Destructive	Constructive
Congress wanted India’s to surrender all titles and honorary offices and resign from nominated seats in local bodies	To finance NCM, Tilak Swaraj Fund was started into which money was poured, and within six months, nearly a crore of rupees was subscribed; All-India Congress Committee was made to recruit new joiners.
To withdraw children and boycott government schools and colleges	Native educational institutions were established  like Gujarat Vidyapith, Bihar Vidyapith, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapith, Kasi Vidyapith, Bengal National University, and Jamia Milia of Delhi
Boycott of British courts by lawyers and litigants & boycott the elections	Establish native arbitration centres all over India
Refusal for recruitment for military and other services in Mesopotamia	Swadeshi became a household word, and the use of Indian-made products gained impetus.
Boycott of foreign goods.

• Prince of Wales visited India, and a large demonstration was set up against it.
• Chauri-Chaura Incident: On 5 February 1922, a procession of Congress khilafat was underway. The police behaved very badly with the mob, and a group from this crowd attacked them. When the officials hid in the police station of Chaura, it was attacked at set on fire. Mob burnt the police station, and in those, nearly 22 policemen died. The ones who tried to escape were hacked to death and thrown back inside.  This was against the basic rule of ahimsa or non-violence, as advocated by Gandhi.
• The horrific incident made Gandhi suspend NCM on 12th of February 1922, as he believed that the country was not ready for a mass movement. The other leaders were not happy with his decision but accepted it. This movement, however, projected Gandhiji as an all-India leader and showed massive support Congress received from the people of India.

Chauri Chaura & Decline of NCM

• Chauri Chaura incident occurred on 5th February 1922 in Gorakhpur district of United Provinces (Uttar Pradesh), when a large group of protesters, participating in Non-cooperation movement, clashed with police, who opened fire. In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all its occupants.
• The incident led to death of three civilians and 23 policemen. Mahatma Gandhi was strictly against violence and therefore, halted Non-Cooperation Movement on 12 February 1922.
• Gandhi, not happy with the increasingly violent trend of the Non-cooperation movement, immediately announced the withdrawal of the movement. Soon, Gandhi was arrested and sentenced to 6 years in jail.
• M.K. Gandhi said, “I would suffer every humiliation, every torture, absolute ostracism and death itself to prevent the movement from becoming violent.”
• Most of the nationalist leaders including C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, Subhash Bose, and Jawaharlal Nehru, however, expressed their bewilderment at Gandhi’s decision to withdraw the movement. Communists saw the withdrawal as a tool to control mass outburst and Gandhi playing into hands of capitalists.
• Even Congress Working Committee met at Bardoli (1922) and resolve to stop all activity that involves breaking the law. It decided to take constructive work in the truce phase including the popularisation of Khadi, promoting education, etc.

Decline Of Khilafat Movement

• Khilafat leaders reacted angrily to the decision of withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement.
• Internationally, Turks under leadership of Mustafa Kemal abolished the Ottoman sultanate in 1922 and did away with the office of Khalifa in 1924. After, this there was little justification for Khilafat movement to continue.

Significance Of Ncm & Khilafat Movement

• Spreading national consciousness: Both Khilafat and NCM Played a key role in generating and spreading anti-imperialist consciousness among masses.
• Women participation: Gandhian insistence of non-violence and his faith in the immense power of females brought many women into the movement.
• Communal Unity: Both Hindus and Muslims together participated in the movement throughout the country. It was often difficult to distinguish between Non-cooperation and Khilafat meetings.
• Focus on Social Justice: Gandhiji brought the issue of caste-discrimination and untouchability to the forefront during the NCM for the first time. From then onwards the need for social justice was clearly acknowledged.