The role of Gandhi and Jinnah in the Non-Cooperation movement
By Dr. Mrinal Kanti Chattopadhayay
Both Gandhi and Jinnah were leaders of National Congress. Jinnah was Gandhi’s senior in politics. He entered politics in 1906 as the Secretary of DadaBhai Nouroji at the session of the National Congress in Calcutta. In his speech at this session, he emphasized on the autonomy. This was the first speech of his political life. He becomes popular in Indian politics as ‘Muslim Gokhle’. He has been a member of the Central Legislative Assembly since 1910. His speech in the Legislative Assembly was so strong that he immediately established himself as an anti-British nationalist leader. On the other hand, Gandhi entered Indian politics from South Africa in 1915. Gandhi was welcomed by Jinnah in Gujarat on January 14, 1915.From then on, Gandhi becomes the National leader of the Congress. Under his leadership, a new era of India’s war of Independence began.
Turkey was defeated in the First World War. The Khilafat Movement started as a result of the policy adopted by the Allied Powers against Turkey as the victorious power. This movement started in India. The Muslim community of India included Gandhi in this movement. Gandhi himself was religious so he joined in this religious movement. Jinnah, on the other hand, could not accept the Khilafat movement. He thought that if this religious movement started in India, Hindu- Muslim relations would be ruined. Jinnah thought that the issue of Khilafat was linked to the foreign policy of the British Government. Gandhi ignored everything and decided to associate the Non-Cooperation movement with the Khilafat movement.
A special session of the Congress was held in Calcutta in September 1920 to consider the program of the movement proposed by Gandhi. The ‘Gandhi era ‘started from this session. Lala Rajpat Ray was the chairman of this session. The Non- Cooperation proposal proposed by Gandhi was passed with a very small majority. The proposal was opposed by Mrs. Annie Besant, Jinnah, Chittaranjan Das and pro- Tilak leaders from Maharashtra. Motilal Nehru also opposed to this proposal and he discussed it with Jinnah before the meeting. But when he cast his vote, he voted for Gandhi.
Gandhi made these proposals in this special session of the Congress. These are to support the Khilafat movement, to give up titles, honorary positions, to boycott Government Schools and Colleges, to introduce arbitration, to boycott foreign goods, and so on. An appeal was made to the people of India to use more indigenous products.
Jinnah could not accept the addition of the Khilafat to this movement. He feared that the result would not be good. Jinnah could not accept that Maulana Mahammad Ali and Saukat Ali had given Gandhi’s favour to the Pan- Islamic leaders.
According to the rules of the Congress, the decisions taken by the special session have to be approved by the general annual session. Therefore, in December 1920, at the session of the National Congressin Nagpur, Gandhji brought the Non- Cooperation Movement resolution for approval. The proposals that Gandhi brought were: boycott of Legislative meeting, boycott of Courts, boycott of schools and Colleges, boycott of titles. A group of Congress leader led by Jinnah opposed Gandhi, but Gandhi could not stop him. Jinnah opposed the proposal from beginning to end in front of 50000 listeners at the session. He wanted to know clearly from Gandhi what he meant by Swaraj. According to him, Swaraj means complete freedom. If congress speaks of complete Independence, it will not be limited to just one system. Jinnah reminded everyone that expression based politics is terrible. He reminded that in a democratic system, individualistic politics gives birth to arbitrariness. He did not want to make Gandhi God. That is why he was left alone. At the conference, ‘Gandhi ki joy’ requested the Congress President to stop this outcry.
Jinnah did not like personality based politics. He was disappointed that Gandhi- based politics was started by a national organization like the Congress. Popularity is a all about politics, Gandhi wanted it too. But Jinnah did not want to be in it. Gandhi’s supporters Jinnah was badly treated at the session, according to a statement from a representative of the Labour Party in England who was present at the session. Nationalist leaders like Chittaranjan Das and Lala Rajpat Rai like Jinnah have opposed Non- Cooperation. But their views changed at the Nagpur session. Prof J. Brown explained why they did it.
Jinnah did not give up. He opposed Gandhi’s policy according to his conscience and decision. He did not want politics to be associated with religion. But Gandhi did that. That is why he left the Congress. He felt that he had no place in the Congress .Gandhi’s statement was that Jinnah was a prominent Congress leader. His resignation from the Congress was a purely political decision. On the other hand, Jwaharalal said that Jinnah never wanted the congress to become a strong organization. When the peasants started joining the Congress, Jinnah left the Congress. In fact, Jinnah wanted the Congress to be an educated organization.
Jawaharlal’s statement is very simplistic. He did not accept the way Gandhi wanted to run politics, especially cutting the wheel, boycotting school and college, picketing. Jinnah wanted such a movement to never succeed without an alternative system. He had no doubt that Gandhi’s movement was flawed. Gandhi spoke of learning Charka kata and Hindi for four hours a day. He could not accept Gandhi’s decision as a political organ. He could not accept the boycott of school and College by the students. He could not accept the participation of the students in active politics. He thought it would hurt the students .Gandhi’s statement was that Hindu- Muslim unity would be strengthened for this movement but Jinnah did not think so.
Although the Congress supported the Khilafat Movement, many religious Muslim leaders did not pay attention to the slogan of the Hindu Muslim Bhai Bhai of the Congress. Muslim religious leader always looked at the Hindu with suspicion. Kabi Guru Rabindra nath could not accept the Khilafat and Non- Cooperation Movement
The important role of this movement in the history of India cannot be denied. This movement could not be accepted by the educated society of India. They considered this movement dangerous for India. Due to their lack of support, the leaders of this movement were involved in immoral activities by involving young students in the movement. It cannot be said who was able to accept this movement. As positive as this movement was, it had negative effects. The sudden cessation of this movement had far-reaching consequences. Communal riots broke out between Hindu and Muslim. Gandhi could not succeed as a leader. To him, his own ideals were more important than the interests of the country. The biggest thing is that the Congress lost a great leader like Jinnah for Gandhi’s policy, the price of which was later borne by the Congress and the whole country.
This article is written by Dr. Mrinal Kanti Chattopadhyay, Principal, Kandra College, West Bengal, India.
