At the Calcutta
session in Sep. 1920, the Congress resolved in favour of the Non-
cooperation Movement and defined Swaraj
as its ultimate aim (according to Gandhi).
The movement envisaged:
(i)
Surrender of this and honorary offices and resignation from nominated offices;
(ii) Refusal to attend government darbars and official functions and boycott of
British courts by the lawyers; (iii) Refusal of general public to offer themselves
for military and other government jobs, and boycott of foreign goods etc.
Gandhiji, along with the Ali
Brothers (of Khilafat Movement fame) undertook a nationwide tour during
addressing of meetings. The educational boycott was specially successful in Bengal
with Punjab too, responding under the leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai.
A part from educational boycott , there was
boycott of law courts which saw major lawyers like Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das ,C. Rajagopalachari, Saifuddin Kitchlu, Vallabh
Bhai patel, Aruna Pruna Asaf Ali, etc .
Giving up their lucrative practices
in their fields. The non- cooperation movement also saw picketing of shops
selling foreign cloth and boycott of the foreign cloth by the followers of
Gandhiji. Another dramatic event during this period was the visit of the prince
Wales.
The day he landed in India (in Bombay on Nov. 17, 1921) he was greeted
with empty streets and downed shutters wherever he went.
The attack on a local police station by angry peasants at Chauri- Chaura, in Gorakhpur district
of UP, on Feb .5,1922, changed the whole situation .Gandhi, shocked by
Chauri-Chaura incident , withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement on Feb. 12,1922.
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