The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation
In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi focused on the Champaran district, advocating for peasants' rights to cultivate their desired crops and secure their land tenure. The following year, he engaged in two significant campaigns in Gujarat: one addressing labor conditions in Ahmedabad's textile mills and the other advocating for tax remission following a poor harvest in Kheda. These local struggles positioned Gandhi as a compassionate nationalist.
The context changed drastically in 1919 when the British extended wartime measures like press censorship and detention without trial through the Rowlatt Act, which prompted Gandhi to organize a nationwide protest against it. This led to a countrywide bandh, particularly in Punjab, where frustrations peaked due to local aspirations for recognition after their contributions in World War I.
Gandhi's arrest en route to Punjab fueled tensions, resulting in the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, where British troops killed over four hundred civilians. In response to the Rowlatt Act and its implications, Gandhi escalated his actions, calling for non-cooperation with British authorities. He urged Indians to withdraw from schools, courts, and to stop tax payments, believing that effective non-cooperation could lead India to swaraj within a year. Furthermore, he aligned the Indian National Congress with the Khilafat Movement, which sought to restore the Caliphate, showcasing his capacity to rally diverse groups across the nation.