Explain how Non-Cooperation Movement made Gandhiji a national leader.

Non- Cooperation Movement:

(i) Gandhiji led the people to protest against the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

(ii) He used the mother tongue and not English in communicating nationalist messages

(iii) He took up the Khilafat issue in the Non –Cooperation Movement and demanded Swaraj.

(iv) Renunciation of all voluntary association with the British govt.

(v) He became people’s leader through self-discipline and renunciation.

(vi) He also promoted the concept of self-rule through the charkha.

(vii) Gandhiji displayed a concern for the laboring poor of India, as he believed that salvation for India could come only through the farmers and workers who constituted the majority of the Indian population.(reference to BHU speech)

(viii) He wanted Indian nationalism, from being an elite phenomenon- a creation of lawyers doctors and landlords, to nationalism more suitably representative of the Indian people as a whole.

(ix) He popularised Satyagraha.

(x) Non-Cooperation-a much wider and popular Movement in terms of participation from all sections, widespread over India, participation by both Hindus and Muslims-Khilafat & Non Cooperation, a united challenge to British imperialism like never before under his leadership.

(xi) He popularized Ahimsa

(xii) Gave emphasis on Swadeshi & Boycott

(xiii) Students stopped going to schools and colleges run by the government.

(xiv) Lawyers refused to attend court.

(xv) The working class went on strike in many towns and cities.

(xvi) Hill tribal in northern Andhra violated the forest laws.

(xvii) Farmers in Awadh did not pay taxes.

(xviii) Peasants in Kumaon refused to carry loads for colonial officials.

(xix) He emphasized decentralization through charkha.

(xx) Emergence of Gandhian Nationalism.

(xxi) His language, dressing style and simplicity helped him connect with the masses.

(xxii) Stressed on Hindu Muslim unity, eradication of untouchability, revival of indigenous industries through the symbol of charkha and elevation of the status of women.

(xxiii) The simple practice of Swadeshi and boycott appealed to the people.

(xxiv) Empathised and identified with the common people in dress and lifestyle.

(xxv) He carefully reorganized the Congress by setting up new branches in different parts of the country and Praja Mandals in the Princely States.

(xxvi) A group of highly talented Indians attached themselves to Gandhiji-Mahadev Desai, Vallabh Bhai Patel, J. B. Kriplani, Jawaharlal Nehru and C. Rajgopalachari. All from different regions and religious traditions.

(xxvii) According to American biographer Louis Fischer –“Non Cooperation became the name of an epoch in the life of India and Mahatma Gandhi”.
(ANY EIGHT)