How did the non-cooperation movement begin? Please explain.

Question

llm

Answered on Sat Dec 09 2023

The Non-Cooperation Movement began as a result of a culmination of various political and socioeconomic factors that frustrated the Indian people under British colonial rule. The immediate cause of the movement was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, where troops under British command killed hundreds of unarmed Indian civilians who were attending a meeting, creating a nationwide uproar.
In response to this and the failure of the government to take adequate action, Mahatma Gandhi, one of the leading figures in the Indian independence movement, proposed a non-violent means of protest against the British authorities. The idea was to withdraw cooperation from the British government to cripple its administration and to show the strength of Indian unity and resolve.
The All India Congress Committee sanctioned Gandhi's proposal and launched the Non-Cooperation Movement at its session in September 1920. The movement included surrendering of titles and honorary offices, resignation from the nominated seats in local bodies, boycotting British courts by lawyers and litigants, withdrawal of students from British educational institutions, and the boycott of government services, elections and British-made goods.
This mass civil disobedience aimed to achieve Swaraj (self-governance) and full political independence for India. The movement marked a transition in Indian nationalism from a middle-class intelligentsia agitation into a wide-spread mass movement.