Dive into the comprehensive timeline of the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements from 1920 to 1922. Highlights include the Treaty of Sevres, the launch of the non-cooperation movement, the Congress endorsement, the spread of the movement, the Chauri Chaura incident, and Gandhi's arrest.
The Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movement: A United Front Against British Rule
February 1920
A joint Hindu-Muslim deputation was sent to the Viceroy to seek redress of grievances on the Khilafat issue, but the mission proved abortive.
Gandhi announced that the issues of the Punjab wrongs and constitutional advance had been overshadowed by the Khilafat question and indicated he would lead a non-cooperation movement if the peace treaty terms failed to satisfy Indian Muslims.
May 1920
The Treaty of Sevres with Turkey was signed, leading to Turkey's complete dismemberment.
June 1920
An all-party conference in Allahabad approved a boycott of schools, colleges, and law courts, and asked Gandhi to lead it.
August 31, 1920
The Khilafat Committee launched a campaign of non-cooperation. Tilak had passed away on August 1, 1920.
September 1920
At a special session in Calcutta, the Congress approved a non-cooperation program, including:
Boycott of government schools and colleges
Boycott of law courts and justice through panchayats
Boycott of legislative councils (with some leaders initially resistant but eventually complying)
Boycott of foreign cloth, use of khadi, and promotion of hand-spinning
Renunciation of government honors and titles
Possible future civil disobedience, including resignation from government service and non-payment of taxes
The movement aimed for Hindu-Muslim unity and the removal of untouchability while remaining non-violent.
December 1920
At the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress:
The non-cooperation program was endorsed.
The Congress creed was changed to aim for swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means, committing to an extra-constitutional mass struggle.
Organizational changes included the creation of a Congress Working Committee (CWC) of 15 members, provincial committees, and reduced entry fees.
Gandhi predicted that full implementation of the non-cooperation program would lead to swaraj within a year.
Several revolutionary groups pledged support to the Congress program.
Some leaders like Jinnah, Besant, Kharpade, and Pal left the Congress, while others like Surendranath Banerjea founded the Indian National Liberal Federation.
The Congress's adoption of the non-cooperation movement gave it new energy, leading to significant popular upsurge in 1921-22.
1921-22: Spread of the Movement
Gandhi and the Ali brothers undertook a nationwide tour, leading to the establishment of around 800 national schools and colleges.
Prominent leaders involved in educational institutions included Acharya Narendra Dev, C.R. Das, Lala Lajpat Rai, Zakir Hussain, and Subhash Bose.
Many lawyers, including Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, and others, gave up their practices.
Foreign cloth imports fell by half due to public burning of foreign cloth and picketing of shops selling foreign liquor.
The Tilak Swaraj Fund was oversubscribed, collecting one crore rupees.
Congress volunteer corps acted as a parallel police force.
The Ali brothers' call for Muslims to resign from the army led to their arrest, and Gandhi echoed this call.
Calls for civil disobedience were made, with movements like no-tax campaigns in Midnapore and Guntur, strikes in Assam, and various local struggles like the Awadh Kisan Movement and Mappila Revolt.
February 1922: Chauri Chaura Incident
On February 5, 1922, in Chauri-Chaura, a village in Gorakhpur district, a violent clash occurred when the police beat up a leader of a group protesting against liquor sales and high food prices. The police opened fire on the crowd, leading to a response where the crowd torched the police station with the policemen inside.
The resulting violence led to the deaths of 22 policemen, with those trying to flee being hacked to death and thrown back into the fire.
Gandhi, dismayed by the increasingly violent turn of events, announced the withdrawal of the non-cooperation movement.
The Congress Working Committee met at Bardoli in February 1922 and resolved to cease activities leading to lawbreaking and focus on constructive work such as promoting khadi, national schools, temperance, Hindu-Muslim unity, and fighting untouchability.
The withdrawal of the movement at this point, while public enthusiasm was high, was met with significant disappointment and criticism from leaders like C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, and Lala Lajpat Rai.
Gandhi was arrested in March 1922 and sentenced to six years in jail, making a memorable court speech declaring his readiness to face the highest penalty for what he considered his highest duty.
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