THIS PROJECT IS DONE BY: GANESH (X STD) UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF: MRS. JEYANTHI ESTHER( HISTORY)

Mohandas karamchand Gandhi came into Prominence at this time and became the undisputed leader of the nationalist movement. After studying law in England, he had gone to south Africa to start his legal practice and lived there for more than twenty years. In the struggle against the discriminatory and racialist policy of the south African government, he developed his technique of `satyagraha’, a movement based on truth and non-violence.

The non-violent protest against the Rowlett act was more Intense in the Punjab, At amritsar, two important leaders, Dr.satyapal and Dr. kitchlew Were arrested and deported. On 13 th April, 1919, thousands of people had gathered in a place called Jalianwalla bagh, at Amritsar, to protest peacefully against the arrest of their leaders. General Dyer entered the park with his troops, closed the only exit, without giving any warning, ordered the troops to fire. The firing lasted for ten minutes and a large number of people were killed and wounded.

Gandhiji started the civil disobedience movement with his famous march to Dandi to break salt laws on the seashore. On 12 th March,1930, he left sabarmathi ashram in Ahmedabad with seventy nine sathyagrahis. Throughout his long journey, he was greeted by thousands of villagers. Dandi march was a signal for a mass movements on a large scale, involving mass strikes and the boycott of British goods.

In 1920,the congress adopted the new programme of Non- violent Non-co-operation under the leadership of Gandhiji. The movement evoked a hearty response throughout the country. The programme included the renunciation of government titles, and the boycotting of the legislature, law courts and governments educational institutions. The Non-cooperation movement was a great success.

Gandhiji attended the Second Round Table Conference in But nothing materialized. On his return, the Civil disobedience movement was renewed. Gandhiji w as arrested and the congress was declared to be an illegal body. It was at this juncture, the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald announced the `communal award’, and gave separate electorate to the depressed classes. On this issue, Gandhi, then in jail, undertook a fast unto death and succeeded in getting the Poona Pact (1932) by which the depressed communities agreed to have joint electorates.

SWARAJYA PARTY, 1922 A Section of the congressmen under the leadership of C.R.Das and Motilal Nehru and LALA LAJPAT RAI founded the Swarajya Party in 1922 and contested the next selection with a view to wrecking the work of the legislature from with in by ‘uniform, consistent and continuous obstruction’. But it was not a success.

ROLE OF JAWAHARLAL NEHRU Next to Gandhiji, the central figure in the nationalist movement was Jawaharlal Nehru. After qualifying himself as a Barrister in England, Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India in Soon he came under the spell of Gandhiji and threw himself into the nationalist movement. His contact with the peasants of Uttar Pradesh and the condition of the peasants aroused deep emotions in him and he became the life long champion of the peasants. He also became the champion of the people of the princely states.

Simon Commission The commission consisted of seven English man with Sir John Simon as chairman without a single Indian member in it. So the congress session at madras under Dr.Ansari passed a resolution to boycott the Simon Commission. The commission arrived in India in February 1928 and was greeted with a countrywide hartal.Anti-simon committees where formed all over the country to organise peaceful demonstration and hartals.

THE CRIPPS MNISSION, 1942 In March 1942, Sir Stafford Cripps came to India to talk Indian leaders, on granting India, Dominion status, at the end of the Second world war. But the congress rejected the offer.