100 Years for ‘Chauri Chaura’ incident

• IAS NEXT, Lucknow
• 08, Feb 2022

Reference News:-

Recently, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the heroes of freedom struggle on completion of the hundred years of Chauri Chaura incident.

What is strong>Chauri Chaura incident?

• The incident (4th February, 1922) occurred at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province, (modern Uttar Pradesh) in British India.
• During this incident, a large group of protesters, participating in the Non-cooperation movement, clashed with police, who opened fire.
• The demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station in retaliation, killing all of its occupants.
• In response to this, Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the Non-cooperation Movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.

Background:

On 1th August, 1920, Gandhiji had launched the Non-Cooperation Movement against the government.

• It involved using swadeshi and boycott of foreign goods, especially machine made cloth, and legal, educational and administrative institutions, “refusing to assist a ruler who misrules”.

Reaction by Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders:

He condemned the crime of the policemen’s killing.

• A Chauri Chaura Support Fund was set up to demonstrate “genuine sympathy” and seek atonement.
• Gandhi bent the Congress Working Committee to his will, and on 12th February, 1922, the satyagraha (movement) was formally suspended.

Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders leading the Non-Cooperation movement were shocked that Gandhiji had stopped the struggle when the civil resistance had consolidated their position in the freedom movement.

• Other leaders like Motilal Nehru and CR Das recorded their dismay at Gandhi’s decision and decided to establish the Swaraj Party.

The disillusionment resulting from the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement nudged many of the younger Indian nationalists towards the conclusion that India would not be able to throw off colonial rule through non-violence.