1.

Discuss Gandhiji’s role in the following:(a) Champaranya Satyagraha (b) Rowlatt Act (c) Non-Co-operation Movement (d) Salt Satyagraha (e) Quit India Movement

Answer»

(a) Champaranya Satyagraha (1917):

  • After returning to India Gandhiji took up issues of farmers in Champaranya, Bihar in 1917.
  • The British plant owners were pressing the farmers to cultivate only indigo. Not only that, they used to buy indigo at very low rates from the farmers.
  • Gandhiji decided to protest against this exploitation and to relieve the farmers from their misery by doing satyagraha Gandhiji was successful in his efforts and the British banned the compulsion of cultivating indigo.

(b) Rowlatt Act (1919):

  • The British Government formed a committee to suppress the national movement that was spreading rapidly.
  • Sir Sydney Rowlatt, the British officer was the president of the committee.
  • An act was passed in 1919 known as the Rowlatt Act by which the British Government had the authority to imprison any Indian without a warrant and to put them under trial without any inquiry.
  • Mahatma Gandhiji decided to protest against this act through satyagraha.
  • He appealed to all people to go for a mass protest on 6th April 1919 by closing down all daily transactions.

(c) Non Co-operation Movement (1920):

  • In 1920, in the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress, a resolution was passed to start the ‘Non-Cooperation Movement’ all over India.
  • Mahatma Gandhiji was asked to lead the movement. It was decided to boycott all schools, colleges, legislative bodies, courts, government offices, and imported goods.
  • Indian people responded to this call in a commendable way. Students participated in large numbers. Several lawyers stopped their practice and participated in the movement.
  • Among them were C. R. Das, Motilal Nehru, M.R. Jaikar, and many other prominent figures.
  • In many places clothes were publicly burnt. The farmers gave a tremendous response to Mahatma Gandhi’s appeal of Non-Co-operation. The working class also participated.
  • A nationwide series of public strikes were started.
  • ‘Charkha’ became the symbol of ‘Swarajya’ and ‘Swadeshi’ became a household term in India.

(d) Salt Satyagraha (1930):

  • The British had levied a heavy tax on salt, an essential commodity in daily life. Mahatma Gandhi declared satyagraha to protest against this tax.
  • On 12th March 1930, he began a march from his Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the Gujarat seacoast against this unjust tax.
  • On 6th April on the sea coast at Dandi, he broke the British law of salt with a token act of collecting a handful of salt from there.

(e) Quit India Movement:

  • On 8th August 1942, a resolution was passed in the INC session for the British to ‘Quit India’ and it was approved with a great majority. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, this movement took shape.
  • This was the last important step in the struggle for India’s freedom. As a result, all the leaders clapped into jails.
  • This agitation took a violent form and the British government perpetrated human atrocities on the people.
  • But an awakening had taken place and the people were not prepared to remain under the British on any account.
  • Mahatma Gandhi gave the mantra ‘Do or Die. His words created a new spirit among the Indians.


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