Rowlatt Act & Gandhi's Satyagraha

• The module discusses events between 1915-19 and the initial years of Gandhi.
• Gandhi's career can be divided into two phases: 1893-1914 (Struggle in South Africa) and 1915-1947 (Role in India's Freedom Struggle).

Gandhi in India Since 1915

• Gandhi's efforts in South Africa were well known among the masses.
• Upon Gokhale's advice, Gandhi decided to tour the country for a year to understand the condition of the masses.
• He decided to refrain from taking any position on political matters for at least a year.
• Gandhi understood the limitations of moderate politics.
• He wasn't in favor of Home Rule agitation, believing it wasn't the right time with Britain at war.
• He believed non-violent satyagraha was the only technique capable of meeting the nationalist aims.

Kochrab Ashram

• Gandhi wanted an ashram to settle down with his Phoenix family.
• The first ashram in India organized by Gandhi was gifted by Barrister Jivanlal Desai.
• It was founded on May 25, 1915, and located near Ahmedabad.
• Kochrab Ashram was also known as Satyagraha Ashram.

Sabarmati Ashram

• Gandhi wanted to carry out activities such as farming and animal husbandry, so needed a larger usable land area.
• On June 17, 1917, the ashram was relocated to a 36-acre area on the banks of the Sabarmati River.
• It then became known as the Sabarmati Ashram.

Gandhian Satyagraha

• Satyagraha is a passive resistance to change the opponent's heart and mind through self-suffering.
• Satyagraha is a non-violent alternative to struggles against oppression, exploitation, and injustice.
• It involves pledging resistance to unjust laws, with God as witness and without fear of consequences.
• Gandhi's Satyagraha philosophy is based on four fundamental pillars: absolute truth, love, discipline, and justice.
• Satyagraha takes varied forms like fasting, prayers, spinning, hartal (strike), picketing, non-cooperation, and civil disobedience.
• Gandhi’s greatest weapon was "truth and common sense"
• Satyagraha aims at conflict resolution with peaceful resistance.

Champaran Satyagraha

• European planters forced Indian peasants in Champaran to grow indigo on 3/20 part of their land (tinkathia system).
• German synthetic dyes replaced indigo, the planters demanded higher rents and illegal dues from peasants.
• Peasants were forced to sell their produce at prices fixed by the Europeans.
• To maximize profits, the planters shifted to other crops and resorted to demanding higher rents and illegal dues.
• Raj Kumar Shukla requested Gandhi to probe the matter.
• Gandhi reached Champaran to join with other leaders; authorities asked him to leave.
• Gandhi defied the order, using passive resistance, which was considered the 1st Civil Disobedience.
• Leaders associated with the movement included Rajendra Prasad, Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parekh, and J.B. Kripalani.
• The planted was used to maximise profits
• The authorities later retreated and appointed a commission to investigate the situation, including Gandhi as a member.
• Gandhi convinced authorities the tinkathia system should be abolished.
• Peasants received compensation for illegal dues (compromise agreement for 25% repayment).
• The authorities ordered Gandhi to leave the area, but Gandhi defied the order, preferring to face punishment.
• Passive resistance/civil disobedience was adopted against the unjust order.
• The committee nominated Gandhi as a member.
• Gandhi convinced the authorities the tinkathia system should be abolished and peasants should be compensated for illegal dues.
• As a compromise, they agreed that the peasants should be paid 25 per cent of the money taken.
• Within a decade, the planters left the area. Gandhi had won the first battle of civil disobedience in India.

Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

• The issue was the discontinuation of the plague bonus by cotton mill owners.
• Workers demanded a 50% wage increase to overcome wartime inflation.
• Mill owners were ready to give 20% wage hike.
• The situation worsened when owners decided to bring weavers from Bombay to replace striking workers.
• Anasuya Sarabhai approached Gandhi, who advised workers to demand a 35% hike instead of 50%.
• Gandhi undertook a fast because there was no progress.
• His actions put pressure on mill owners, so the issue was referred to the tribunal which settled for a 35% hike.
• Anusuya Behn asked Gandhi to intervene and resolve the impasse between the workers and the employers.
• Gandhi formed the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association (Majoor Mahajan Sangh) in 1920.
• Gandhi feared some workers would break their pledge with others getting impatient.
• He decided to go on a hunger strike, his fast influenced the mill owners and they came to an argument with the workers.
• Gandhi demanded a 35% increase in wages and advised workers to remain non-violent while on strike.
• His fast put pressure on the mill owners who finally agreed to submit the issue to a tribunal.
• The tribunal awarded the workers a 35 per cent wage hike ending the strike.

Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

• Crops failed because of drought
• Farmers were entitled to for remission per the revenue code.
• The government demanded taxes and threatened to seize property if taxes were not paid.
• Gandhi asked farmers not to pay taxes
• Considered the 1st Non-Cooperation movement.
• Vallabhai Patel, Narahari Parikh, Ravi Shankar Vjas, and Mohanlal Pandya provided political leadership.
• Peasants organized a tax revolt and socially ostracized those who came to buy property.
• The government seized peasant property, land and their livelihood.
• Peasants had huge support which forced the government to make an agreement with the farmers.
• The government suspended taxes for two years, allowed an overall deduction in tax and returned confiscated land.
• The leaders included Vallabhbhai Patel, Narahari Parikh, Mohanlal Pandya and Ravi Shankar Vyas, who helped to organize the tax revolt with the support of villagers.
• There was drought in 1918 and the crops failed in Kheda district of Gujarat.
• The farmers were entitled to remission if the yield was less than one-fourth of the normal produce.
• The government remained adamant and said that the property of the farmers would be seized if taxes were not paid.
• Ultimately, the government agreed to suspend the tax for the year and for the next year reduce the increase in rate and return all the confiscated property.
• People in other parts of Gujarat sheltered the relatives and property of the protesting peasants.

Rowlatt Act, 1919

• It extended the Wartime Defence of India Regulation Act -1915
• A sedition committee was appointed by Viceroy Lord Chelmsford in 1918 under Justice Rowlatt.
• The goal was to inquire into political terrorism in India.
• One objective was to identify the links with German government and Bolsheviks of Russia.
• Also, to arm the government to suppress unlawful and dangerous activities.
• On March 10, 1919, the "Rowlatt Act"- Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919 was passed .
• Even so, all political parties opposed the bill, A popular slogan chanted was "No pleas (daleel), No lawyers (wakil), No appeal".
• Act was also called the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act.
• Even possessing seditious newspapers would be adequate evidence of guilt.
• Act aimed to suppress unlawful and dangerous activities.
• It curbed civil rights by arrest without warrant, detention without trial, no access to legal help, no right to appeal, etc.
• Gandhi, then supporting the British war effort, called the Rowlatt Act the "Black Act".
• Satyagraha sabha published propaganda literature and collected signatures for Satyagraha pledge.
• Satyagrahis believed the Rowlatt Act was unjust, unfair, and discriminatory.
• It led to nationwide hartal (strike), fasting, prayer
• Calcutta and Delhi also saw important centre were observed
• Gandhi said that salvation would come when masses woke up and became active in politics.
• It inspired Muslim awakening by Zafar Ali Khan (poet, writer, journalist) and Iqbal (Sare Jahan se Accha).
• There was also Hindu, Muslim and Sikh unity.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919)

• At the time, Punjab and Bengal was under state of revolutionary terrorism.
• There was martial law in Amritsar and Lahore.
• Two nationalist leaders, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal, were arrested due to addressing arrest meetings.
• More than 5,000 people gathered in Jallianwala Bagh, unaware that Amritsar was under curfew and such meetings are banned.
• General Dyer thought the people had conspired ordered fire upon the crowd.
• Indian National Congress appointed its own non-official committee Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, Abbas Tyabji, M.R. Jayakar and Gandhi to investigate Jallianwala bagh.
• Committee said dyer's action was inhumane and unjustified.
• Dyer was later found relieved after guilty of mistaken
• More than 400 people were killed.
• After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Gandhi withdrew satya movement calling it as a "Himalayan Blunder" on April 18, 1919.
• Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood.
• Udham Singh bore the name of Ram Mohammad Singh and assassinated Michael O' Dwyer and was hanged in 1940 for his deed.