1. Gandhi’s View on British Rule in India 📚🇮🇳

• In his famous book Hind Swaraj (1909), Mahatma Gandhi argued that the foundation of British rule in India rested on the cooperation of the Indian people.
• The British did not hold power by force alone, but depended heavily on the willingness of Indians to comply with their colonial structures. 🏛️🤝
• Gandhi believed that the British could not have sustained their control without Indian support, whether through participating in their systems or accepting their imposed authority. 💼⚖️
• He asserted that if Indians withdrew their cooperation, British rule would crumble quickly.
• According to him, the Indian people’s refusal to comply would be enough to collapse the empire in a short span of one year. ⏳
• Gandhi’s vision for swraj (self-rule) was rooted in this idea of non-cooperation.
• India could regain its independence not through violent struggle, but by peacefully withdrawing from colonial systems. 🗳️✊
• He believed that true independence could only come from rejecting foreign rule in every aspect of life—from governance to daily economic practices. 🏡🌿

2. Non-Cooperation as a Movement ✊🚫

• Gandhi’s concept of non-cooperation was not a sudden, all-encompassing act but a gradual process.
• He envisioned it as a staged movement, building momentum at each step. 🌱📈
• The movement’s escalation would depend on the people’s engagement and the actions of the British.
• This ensured it remained manageable and focused on achieving independence without violence.
• The movement would begin with symbolic acts of defiance:
  • The surrender of titles and honors that the British government had awarded to Indian elites was one of the first steps. 🎖️
  • This act of renunciation would cut off the British’s symbolic control over the Indian elite class.
  • It would demonstrate the people’s refusal to accept their domination. 👑❌
• The next phase would involve a comprehensive boycott of British institutions that were pillars of colonial rule:
  • The civil services, the bureaucratic machinery that executed British policies, would be boycotted by Indians. 💼🚫
  • The army and police forces, which upheld colonial laws and order, would see a refusal to serve from Indian recruits. 👮‍♂️🚫
  • Courts and legislative councils, where British interests were represented, would be boycotted by both legal professionals and political leaders. ⚖️❌
  • Schools and educational institutions that promoted colonial ideologies and produced a class of loyal servants would be shunned.
  • Students and teachers would refuse to participate. 🏫📚❌
  • The boycott of foreign goods was a crucial act of self-sufficiency.
  • This encouraged people to use local products and reject the imported goods that funded British industry. 🛍️🌍🔴
• If the British government responded with repression or force, Gandhi proposed that the movement would shift to a full-scale civil disobedience campaign.
• This would involve more direct acts of resistance such as non-payment of taxes, refusal to obey laws, and public protests.
• These acts were aimed at challenging the legal and political structures of British rule. 🚷💥
• This staged approach allowed the movement to evolve in response to British actions.
• It ensured the movement remained non-violent, peaceful, and effective, with the goal of ultimately achieving self-rule (swaraj). ✊🇮🇳

3. Mobilizing Support for the Movement 🚶‍♂️🌏

• Mahatma Gandhi and Shaukat Ali embarked on an extensive tour across India during the summer of 1920 to gather momentum for the Non-Cooperation Movement 🛤️.
• The purpose of the tour was to mobilize popular support for the movement, aiming to reach as many people as possible, especially in rural areas and villages 📍👥.
• They traveled far and wide, addressing public gatherings and spreading awareness about the need for non-cooperation with the British government 🌍📢.
• Gandhi and Shaukat Ali engaged directly with people from different walks of life, explaining the significance of the boycott and its role in securing India’s freedom ✊🗣️.
• They emphasized that the movement was not just about resistance but about uniting Indians in a common cause of peaceful non-violent struggle against the British empire 🕊️🤝.
• Gandhi used this tour to bolster his vision of self-rule (swaraj), explaining how non-cooperation would lead to the collapse of British rule by cutting off their power sources 🔌🇮🇳.
• By traveling together, Gandhi and Ali demonstrated unity among Indian leaders, showing that both Hindus and Muslims were united in the pursuit of independence ✨🕊️.
• The mass engagement and grassroots support grew rapidly, helping build the foundation for the large-scale movements that would follow in the coming years 📅🔊.

4. Opposition and Concerns Within Congress 🏛️⚖️

• Within the Indian National Congress (INC), there was significant resistance to Gandhi’s proposal of a boycott of the council elections set for November 1920 🗳️❌.
• Some leaders within the INC feared that such a boycott would lead to a loss of political legitimacy for the Congress, as it would be withdrawing from established channels of political participation 👥🏛️.
• There was also concern that the movement could lead to popular violence, creating chaos and disrupting peace in the country ⚡🔥.
• These leaders worried that escalation of the movement, particularly if the government reacted with repression, might provoke violent outbursts from the masses 🔥⚔️.
• The moderate leaders within the Congress were particularly anxious that such a radical step would alienate moderate sections of society who were not ready for such a drastic confrontation with the British 💔🧐.
• The fear was that the movement could cause a division within the Congress, especially if it seemed too extreme or removed from constitutional methods of struggle. ⚖️
• These internal concerns led to debates within Congress on how best to approach the Non-Cooperation Movement and ensure it did not lead to disunity or chaos in the larger freedom struggle. 🤔⚖️
• There was a broader worry about the sustainability of a non-violent movement if it became too aggressive in its opposition to British rule 🏛️🔴.

5. Resolution at the Nagpur Congress Session (December 1920) 📝🕊️

• Between September and December 1920, a period of intense internal tussle unfolded within the Congress over whether or not to formally adopt the Non-Cooperation Programme ⚖️🤔.
• This debate saw some members pushing back against the movement’s aggressive nature, while others, led by Gandhi, advocated for its full implementation to challenge British authority ✊🔥.
• The opposition focused on the risks of violence and the potential for alienating moderate sections, while Gandhi insisted on non-violence as the only path to independence 🕊️🇮🇳.
• After extensive discussions, a compromise was reached, and at the Nagpur Congress session in December 1920, the movement was officially endorsed by the Congress 🏛️🤝.
• This marked a unified decision within the Congress to support the Non-Cooperation Movement, despite the challenges and disagreements within the party 🎉🇮🇳.
• The adoption of the programme was a major turning point in the Indian independence struggle, signaling the Congress’s collective commitment to pursue swaraj through peaceful means ✊🗳️.
• This resolution also brought together different factions within the Congress, reconciling moderates and radicals around the shared goal of self-rule for India 🇮🇳🤝.
• The success of the Nagpur session helped to mobilize national unity, laying the groundwork for larger-scale protests and the rise of mass movements in the following years 🌏.