Non-Cooperation Movement (NCM)

Launch: Launched by Gandhi on 1st August 1920.
Idea: Based on ideals of boycotts of all government posts, boycotts of titles given by the Britishers, and non-payment of taxes.

Tilak’s Stand: Tilak was opposed to any Hindu-Muslim cooperation for a religious purposes and believed that the movement should be secular. However, during the period of the movement, Tilak died.
Development After the Death of Tilak: The Tilak fund was established.
Congress Session Launched the Movement
- On September 20, 1920, the All India Congress Committee held a special session in Calcutta, which was presided over by Lala Lajpat Rai and recognised the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- As a result, on September 4, 1920, the INC began the Non-Cooperation Movement in response to the issues of the Swaraj, the Punjab massacre, and the Khilafat issue.
Leaders who Supported the Movement
- Major supporters of the movement were Motilal Nehru, Jitendra Basu, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Shaukat Ali, Dr Ansari, Yakub Hassan, Vallabhbhai Patel, Gopabandhu Das, Ajmal Khan, Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru
Leaders who Opposed the Movement
- Major leaders who opposed the movement were C R Das, Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Annie Beasant.

Boycott of government-affiliated schools and colleges.
Boycott of law courts.
Picketing of shops selling foreign clothes.
Boycott was extended to include resignation from government services and mass civil disobedience including the non-payment of taxes.
National schools and colleges were set up.
Panchayats were to be established to settle disputes.
Hand-spinning and weaving were to be encouraged.

Students – Students in thousands left schools and colleges established by the Government and joined the movement in large numbers.
Middle-Class People – They initially led the movement but later moved away.
Businessmen – The economic boycott received support from the Indian business group because they had benefited from the nationalists’ emphasis on the use of swadeshi.
Peasants – There was massive participation by the peasants and they established Kisan Sabhas. For example – Awadh Kisan Sabha.
Women – Women participated in large numbers, gave up purdah and offered their ornaments towards the Tilak Fund.

The Chauri Chaura incident of 1922 (People of Chauri Chaura protested against liquor sales and high food prices by burning a police station, killing 22 police officials) horrified Gandhi, who withdrew from the Non-cooperation campaign. The movement was dubbed the “Himalayan Blunder” by him.