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The most significant event that unfolded in Indian politics in 1919 was the
rise of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi's emergence on the Indian political
scenario inaugurated the third phase of Indian Nationalism, during which
the country witnessed the launch of a number of nationalist movements
under his leadership. His unique political ideologies that basically
represented an extension of his spiritual doctrines revolutionized Indian
politics and played a major role in awakening the political consciousness of
the masses. The National Movements launched under Gandhi's aegis gave
expression to his celebrated political ideologies like satyagraha and
ahimsa, and saw the country unifying to fight the single cause of India's
independence. The two important milestones of India's pre independence
history, namely the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil
Disobedience Movement were launched and gathered momentum under
the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. The first among these was the NonCooperation Movement.
In pursuance of his struggle for justice or Satyagraha, Gandhi accepted
two 'tools' or methods which were based on complete non- violence. Non
Cooperation was passive where as civil disobedience was active and
almost revolutionary. The non co-operation movement aimed at bringing
the government to a standstill, by withdrawing every support to
administration. The civil disobedience movement was planned to paralyze
the government by mass support by undertaking acts which the British
government considered illegal but were protests against exploitative and
suppressive measures.
The "Non Cooperation Movement" (a.k.a. "Asahakar") in 1920's included
surrender of titles, resignation from nominated seats in local government
bodies, boycott of government educational institutions, law courts and
foreign goods.
The basic idea behind this movement was that the non cooperation of
Indians against the British government would ultimately lead to the collapse
of the British rule in India.
Before proceeding to an analysis of Gandhi's role in the Non-Cooperation
Movement, it is pertinent to delineate the circumstances that shook
Gandhi's confidence in the fairness of the British Government and
transformed him into a non-co-operator. When Gandhi returned to India in
the year 1915, he did not directly enter the political scenario, following the
advice of his political mentor Gopal Krishna Gokhle. However, in the period
between 1917 and 18, he rendered leadership to some local disputes and
thus rose to prominence. He supported the cause of the oppressed
cultivators of Champaran district ofBihar, associated himself with the
campaign of the peasants of the Kheda district in Gujarat and also backed
the textile workers of Ahmedabad, who were fighting for their wages.
During this phase, Gandhi was loyal to the colonial government and even
volunteered for the recruitment of soldiers to fight on behalf of the English,
during the First World War. However, the Gandhi's role as a co-operator of
the British government did not last long. The Rowlatt Act, followed by the
Jallianwallah Bagh massacre and the Khilafat issue embittered Gandhi's
feelings towards the British government. Gandhi stance changed to that of
the role played by Gandhi in it took the Indian freedom movement to new
heights. It ushered in a new political fervor among the people and taught
the Indians fearlessness. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi,
Swarajya found popular expression and a patriotic zeal gripped the entire
nation. The weapon of passive resistance or satyagraha, that Gandhi gave
to the nation, emerged as the greatest asset of the Indians. An important
program of The Non-Cooperation Movement was the promotion of khadi.
Under the guidance of Gandhi, charkha and Indian handloom products
gained back their glory. Many weavers were employed. The contribution of
Gandhi to this movement and eventually to Indian Nationalism was that for
the very first time he coasted the entire country bound by a single ethos.
The freedom struggle assumed an all India character under his impeccable
leadership.
The Quit India Movement (Hindi: Bhrat Chhodo ndolan), or the India August
Movement (August Kranti), was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in
response to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's call for satyagraha. The All-India Congress
Committee proclaimed a mass protest demanding what Gandhiji called "an orderly British
withdrawal" from India. It was for the determined, which appears in his call toDo or Die, issued on 8
August at the Gowaliar Tank Maidan in Mumbai in 1942.
The British were prepared to act. Almost the entiri INC leadership, and not just at the national level,
was imprisoned without trial within hours after Gandhi's speech. Most spent the rest of the war in
prison and out of contact with the masses. The British had the support of theViceroy's Council (which
had a majority of Indians), of the Muslims, the Communist Party, the princely states, the Imperial and
state police, the Indian Army, and the Indian Civil Service. Many Indian businessmen were profiting
from heavy wartime spending and did not support Quit India. Many students paid more attention
to Subhas Chandra Bose, who was in exile and supporting the Axis. The only outside support came
from the Americans, as PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt pressured Prime Minister Winston
Churchill to give in to Indian demands. The Quit India campaign was effectively crushed. [1]
The British refused to grant immediate independence, saying it could happen only after the war
ended.
Sporadic small-scale violence took place around the country but the British arrested tens of
thousands of leaders, keeping them imprisoned until 1945. In terms of immediate objectives Quit
India failed because of heavy-handed suppression, weak coordination and the lack of a clear-cut
programme of action. However, the British government realized that India was ungovernable in the
long run, and the question for postwar became how to exit gracefully and peacefully.