Indian National Movement and Mahatma Gandhi

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The Constitution of India is the product of the Constitution Assembly. It has inherited a solid ideological base and principles from the nationalist movement. In 1909, Mahatma Gandhi mentioned in his book ‘Hind Swaraj’ that British rule was established in India with the cooperation of the Indian public and has survived this long for a similar reason. Thus, Gandhi planned a non-cooperation movement throughout India, which would unfold bit by bit. It ought, to begin with, the surrendering of assorted government titles and a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and legislative councils, schools, and foreign products. 

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Mahatma Gandhi And The National Movement

Mahatma Gandhi is the most influential leader and a revered person who participated in India’s struggle for freedom against British Raj. Mahatma Gandhi was born on  October 2, 1869, in Gujarat. The fight to free India was being fought for many years, but Gandhi gave that fight a direction and brought the whole country together. He was an anti-colonialist, non-violent freedom fighter who led the country towards freedom without picking up any weapon. He believed in the power of Truth or Satya. Thus, he named his movement Satyagraha. Gandhi’s belief and fight for truth got him universal support. He was the originator of non-violence cooperation. He applied it to large-scale political masses and obtained an effective result. He was also one of the first leaders who used the Fasting scheme as a political device. 

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Champaran Satyagraha(1917)

Gandhi’s first civil disobedience movement was the Champaran satyagraha. Gandhi travelled to Champaran, Bihar, after being persuaded by Rajkumar Shukla, an indigo farmer, to explore the plight of the farmers there. Europeans compelled cultivators in the Champaran district of Bihar to grow indigo, a blue dye, which caused them tremendous agony. They couldn’t cultivate the food they needed, and their indigo payments were insufficient.

Result of Champaran Satyagraha

The government subsequently appointed a commission to investigate the cultivators’ claims. Gandhi accepted to serve on the committee after being asked. As a result, the Champaran Agrarian Bill was passed within a few months. The cultivators and land tenants were greatly relieved.

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Rowlatt Act Satyagraha (1919)

In March 1919, the Rowlatt Act, also known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was approved. With this bill, the Imperial Legislative Council gave the British government the authority to arrest anyone accused of terrorism. It also authorised Britishers to detain people for up to two years without trial. In addition, the police have been given permission to search any location without a warrant.

In April 1919, Gandhi launched a nationwide Satyagraha movement against the act. It received a massive response with people already suffering from poor socio-economic conditions, coming out in support from all across the country. 

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)

The non-cooperation movement was a nationwide movement launched on September 04, 1920 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. The movement was launched in the wake of  a series of events like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the passing of the Rowlatt Act. 

The movement was able to accrue the sympathy of the masses and established Gandhiji as the leader of the resistance. It was active for only two short years and was dissolved due to the Chauri Chaura incident. 

Khilafat Issue (1919 – 1925)

While incidents like the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre ignited the spirit of nationalism among Indians, Satyagraha movements were still limited to big cities and towns. Gandhi realised the need for a more broad-based movement. He was convinced that freedom is possible only if Hindus and Muslims get united on a common platform.The Khilafat issue or Khilafat movement allowed him to do it. The first world war, which left the socio-economic condition of India devastated, had also annihilated nations worldwide. Among those empires included Ottoman Turkey, which witnessed a terrible defeat. 

There were rumours about Britishers imposing a harsh treaty – Treaty of Sèvres on the Ottoman emperor, who was the Islamic world’s spiritual head, the Khalifa. A Khilafat Committee was formed in then called Bombay in March 1919 by Indian Muslims to defend their Khalifa.Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali joined hands with prominent Muslim leaders like Sheikh Shaukat Ali Siddiqui, Pir Ghulam Mujaddid Sarhandi, and Dr. Hakim Ajmal Khan and built the India Khilafat Committee. The aim was to create political unity among Muslims and use their influence to protect the Khalifa. 

Disobedience Movement (1930)

The Indian Statutory Commission, popularly known as the Simon Commission, is recognised as a catalyst for the civil disobedience movement. It was set to debate constitutional reform in India, which was carried out without a single Indian member, prompting a great protest. But before it arrived in India, the Congress was rife with internal debate and had two choices:

• Liberals like Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das wanted to contest the provincial elections and oppose the British within the Councils (set up by the Government of India Act, 1919).
• Revolutionaries like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose urged mass agitation and complete independence.

The commission’s arrival and the worsening economic condition with the onset of the worldwide economic depression propelled the demands of the revolutionaries, resulting in the civil disobedience movement.  

Quit India Movement 

Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement on August 08, 1942, at Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank Maidan. 

• On August 08, the Indian National Congress signed the ‘Quit India Resolution’ and elected Mahatma Gandhi as the movement leader
• The ‘Quit India Resolution’ stated the following as the provisions of the movement- an immediate end to British rule, declaration of a free India that can defend itself against imperialism and fascism, the formation of an interim government in the event of British withdrawal, and the initiation of a civil disobedience movement
• The movement birthed the following slogans-
  • ‘Quit India’ by Yusuf Meherally. Meherally was elected as the Mayor of Bombay in 1942 and was a prominent socialist and trade unionist
  • ‘Do or Die’ was coined by Mahatma Gandhi during his speech on 8th August
• During his speech at August Kranti Maidan, Gandhiji instructed various sectors of the society to do the following-
  • Gandhi instructed government servants to proclaim their loyalty to the INC
  • He instructed the soldiers in the army to refrain from shooting at compatriots
  • He instructed peasants to pay the agreed-upon rent to only those anti-government zamindars
  • He instructed the people from princely states to only support anti-government leaders and wish to declare their sovereign as part of the Indian nation

Conclusion

The Indian Nationalist movement had an important role in building the nation. It aided in helping the members of the Constitutional assembly draft the main principles for the Indian Constitution. It was created through observation and adopting different constitutions like the British, US, and German. Furthermore, the adoption of objective resolution has helped in drafting the Indian Constitution.

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