- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms 1919: Dyarchy
- In a system called “dyarchy,” the nation-building departments of government — agriculture, education, public works, and the like — were placed under ministers who were individually responsible to the legislature. The departments that made up the “steel frame” of British rule — finance, revenue, and home affairs — were retained by executive councillors who were nominated by the Governor.
- The Hunter Committee report praised the actions of general Dyer.
- Khilafat Movement
- For support of Turkey
- Khilafat Committee formed under the leadership of Ali Brothers, Maulana Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani
- The promises made to the Khilafat Committee were not kept after the World War.
- The All-India Khilafat Conference held at Delhi in November 1919 decided to withdraw all cooperation from the government if their demands were not met.
- On June 9 1920, the Khilafat Committee at Allahabad unanimously accepted the suggestion of non-cooperation and asked Gandhiji to lead the movement.
- Khilafat movement cemented Hindu-Muslim unity
- Gandhiji looked upon the Khilafat agitation as “an opportunity of uniting Hindus and Mohammedans as would not arise in a hundred years”
- The non-cooperation movement was launched on August 1, 1920. Lokmanya Tilak passed away on the same day.
- People countrywide observed hartal and took out processions.
- The congress met in September at Calcutta and accepted non-co-operation as its own.
- The programme of non-cooperation included:
- Surrender of titles and honors
- Boycott of government affiliated schools and colleges, law courts, foreign cloth and could be extended to resignation from government services.
- Mass civil disobedience including the non-payment of taxes.
- National schools and colleges were to be set up
- Panchayats were to be established to settle disputes
- Hand-spinning and weaving was encouraged
- People were asked to maintain Hindu-Muslim unity, give up untouchability and observe strict non-violence.
- Changes in Congress to attain the new objective:
- At the Nagpur session in 1920 changes in the Constitution of Congress were made.
- The goal of congress was changed from the attainment of self-government by constitutional and legal means to the attainment of Swaraj by peaceful and legitimate means.
- The Congress now had a Working Committee of fifteen members to look after its day to day affairs.
- Provincial congress committees were now organized on a linguistic basis.
- Mahalla and ward committees were formed.
- The membership fee was reduced to 4 annas a years to enable poor to become members.
- This was not without opposition however. Some members still believed in the traditional methods. Leaders like Jinnah, GS Khaparde, Bipin Chandra Pal and Annie Besant left congress during this time.
- Gandhiji, along with the Ali brother, undertook a nationwide tour to address people.
- Thousands of students left government schools and joined national schools.
- The most successful item of the programme was the boycott of foreign cloth.
- Picketing of toddy shops was also very popular.
- Students let government schools and colleges. IT was during this time that Jamia Milia Islamia of Aligarh, the Bihar Vidyapith, the Kashi Vidyapith and the Gujarat Vidyapith came into existence.
- Lawyers such as Deshbandhu CR Das, Motilal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Saifudiin Kitchlew, C Rajagopalachari, Sardar Patel, T Prakasam and Asaf Ali gave up their legal practice.
- Tilak Swarajya Fund was started to finance the NCM.
- In 1921, Khilafat Committee issued a resolution that no muslim should serve in the British Indian army.
- The visit of the Prince of Wales on 17th November 1921 was observed as a day of hartal all over the country.
- The Congress Volunteer Corps emerged as a powerful parallel police.
- By December 1921, the government felt that things were going too far and announced a change of policy by declaring the volunteer corps illegal and arresting all those who claimed to be its members.
- Thousands of peasants and tenants participated in the movement.
- In Punjab, the Akali movement to remove corrupt mahants from the Gurudwaras was started.
- Assam: Tea plantation workers went on strike. Midnapore: peasants refused to pay Union Board taxes. Guntur (Chirala): Agitation led by Duggirala Gopalakrishayya Malabar: Mohlahs (muslim peasants) created a powerful anti-zamindari movement.
- As the government refused to yield, Gandhiji announced that mass civil disobedience would begin in Bardoli taluqa of Surat.
- However, in Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur on 5 February 1922 crowd set fire on a police station and killed some policemen. On hearing this, Gandhiji decided to withdraw the movement.
- The congress working committee ratified his decision. Thus, on February 12, 1922, the non-cooperation movement came to an end.
- Assessing the Withdrawal:
- Some scholars say that Gandhiji withdrew the movement because he wanted to protect the interests of the propertied class.
- Some argue that there was no logic why a small incident should lead to withdrawal of the movement itself.
- However, government could use Chauri Chaura to justify its repression of the movement.
- If movement was started at that time, it would have been defeated due to the repression of the government.
- Gandhiji was protecting the movement from likely repression, and the people from demoralization.
- Mass movements tend to ebb in some time. Hence, withdrawal is a part of the strategy of mass movements.
- Gandhiji was tried in 1922 and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
- He invited the court to award him “the highest penalty that can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime, and what appears to be the highest duty of a citizen”.
- Positives out of the non-cooperation movement:
- Congress started commanding the support and sympathy of vast sections of the Indian people.
- Millions of Indians became politically involved. Women were drawn into the movement.
- Muslims participated heavily and communal unity was maintained.
- Strengthened the national movement. Nationalist sentiments and the national movement had reached the remotest corners of the land.
- People gained tremendous self-confidence and self-esteem.
