Struggle for Swaraj (1919-1927)

 

This phase is the Indian History is known as Gandhi ji Years. Gandhi was the first Indian barrister to have come in South Africa.

The first phase of Gandhi’s political activities from 1894-1906 may be classified as the ‘moderate’ phase. He set up the Natal Indian Congress and the started a paper called Indian Opinion.

The second phase, begun in 1906, was characterized by the use of passive resistance, Satyagraha. There was no fear of jails. South Africa prepared Gandhi ji for leadership of the Indian national struggle. South Africa built of this faith in the capacity of the Indian masses to participate in and sacrifice for a cause that moved them.

 

Gandhi returned to India on January 9, 1915

• He founded the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad in 1916.
• Initially he was politically idle. He spent his time studying the situation of the country.
• He was deeply convinced that the only viable method of political struggle was Satyagraha.
• During the course of 1917 and early 1918, he was involved In three significiant struggles-Champaran in Bihar, in Ahmedabad and in Kheda in Gujarat. The common feature of these struggles was that they related to specific local issues and that they were fought for the economic demands of the masses.

 

Champaran Satyagraha (1917)

Peasantry on the indigo plantations in Champaran, Bihar was excessively oppressed by the European planters. On the invitation of the peasants he went to Champaran and began to conduct a detailed inquiry into the condition of the peasantry.

 

Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

Dispute between workers and mill workers and mill owners Gandhi advised workers to go on a non-violent strike. He himself took to fast Owners yielded and gave a 35 percent increase in wages to the workwers.

 

Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

Despite crop failure in Kheda the government insisted on land revenue. Gandhi advised the peasants to withhold payment. Government issued instructions that revenue should be collected from only those farmers who could afford to pay. SardarVallabhbhai Patel played a major role in this Satyagraha.

Impact of these early experiences Brought Gandhi ji in close contact with the masses. He identified his life and manner of living with the life of the common people.

He had three main Aims-

• Hindu-Muslim Unity
• Fight against untouchability
• Raising the social status of the women

 

First-Nationwide Protest

Gandhi ji first major nation-wide protest was against the Rowlatt Bills in 1919. He formed the Satyagraha Sabha whose members took a pledge to disobey the Act and thus to court arrest and imprisonment.

Satyagraha was launched. The form of protest finally decided was the observance of a nation-wide hartal accompanied by fasting and prayer. However, protests were generally accompanied by violence and disorder. In Punjab, the situation was particularly violent. General Dyer was called to control the situation. On 13 April, Baisakhi Day, General Dyer ordered to open fire on unarmed unarmed crowd in Jallianwala Bagh.

 

JallianwalaBagh Massacre

On April 13, 1919  large crowd had gathered in Amritsar to protest against the arrest of their leaders. Dr. Saifuddin kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal.

General Dyer opened fire.

Widespread criticism followed.

Tagore returned his knighthood.

 

Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

Provincial Legislative Council enlarged. More elected members.

In a system called “diarchy,” 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 councilors who were nominated by the governor.

At the center, there were two houses of legislature.

 

Response of nationalists-INC condemned the reforms as disappointing and unsatisfactory some others, led by Surendranath Banerjea, were in favour of accepting the government’s proposals. They left the Congress at this time and founded the Indian Liberal Federation.

 

Evaluation- The Governor could overrule the ministers on any grounds that he considered special. The legislature had virtually no control over the Governor-General and his Executive Council The central government had restricted control over the provincial governments.

 

Khilafat Movement

For support of Turkey, Khilafat Committee formed under the leardership of Ali Brothers.

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 co-operation from the government if their demands were not met.

On June 9 1920, the Khilafat committee at Allahabad unanimously accepted the suggestion of non- co-operation and asked Gandhi ji to lead the movement.

 

Khilafat movement cemented Hindu-Muslim unity

Gandhi ji looked upon the Khilafat agitation as “an opportunity of uniting Hindus and Mohammedans as would not arise in a hundered years”

• The non- co-operation 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 co-operation 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 untouch ability 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 committee 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.

• Gandhi ji 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 kasha Vidyapith and the Gujrat Vidyapith came into existence.
• Lawyers such as Deshbhandu CR Das, Motilal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Saifudiin Kitchlew, C Rajagopalachari, sardar Patel, T Prakasam and Asaf Ali gave up their legal practice.
• Tilakswarajya 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 17^th 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 Gopala Krishayya.

Malabar: Mohlahs (Muslim peasants) created a powerful anti-zamindari movement.

As the government refused to yield, Gandhi jiannounced that mass civil disobedience would begin in Bardoli Taluqa of Surat.

However, in Chaurichura, Gorakhpur on 5 february 1922 crowd set fire on a police station and killed some policemen. On hearing this Gandhi ji decided to withdraw the movement.

The Congress working committee ratified his decision. Thus, in February 12, 1922, the non- cooperation movement came to an end.

 

 

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