Question

Q23) Consider the following statements
i) Rowlatt Satyagraha was Mahatma Gandhi’s first attempt at leading an all India struggle
ii) The Home Rule Movement had provided politically awakened men for the Rowlatt Satyagraha
iii) The Rowlatt Satyagraha was against two bills which aimed at severely curtailing the civil liberties of Indians in the name of curbing terrorist violence
Which of the above is/are correct?

• A. a) i and ii
• B. b) ii and iii
  
• C. c) i and iii
• D. d) i, ii, and iii

Answer 1

The correct option is D d) i, ii, and iii

Ans (d)
Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915. He spent the years 1915-16 travelling the whole of India understanding the problems of people. In 1917 and 1918, he led some localised struggles like the Champaran Satyagraha, Kheda Satyagraha, and Ahmedabad Mills Strike. It was in 1919 that the Rowlatt Act was passed. This affected the whole of India. This provided an opportunity for Gandhi to start an all India mass struggle. The Home Rule Movement of 1916 was for Self-rule. It was led by Tilak and Besant. It was successful in getting the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms getting sanctioned. But, it failed due to many reasons like
Lack of clarity in the mind of Besant after her arrest
Absence of Tilak from the political scene as he had to go to London to fight a case
The younger section within the Congress were pacified by the release of Besant
In spite of the failure, it provided politically aware men who were waiting for a new phase of struggle which was provided in the form of Rowlatt Satyagraha
The Rowlatt Satyagraha was against two bills which aimed at severely curtailing the civil liberties of Indians in the name of curbing terrorist violence. The Rowlatt act was also known as “Anarchical & Revolutionary Crimes Act” or “Black Act”. It was passed in March 1919. It indefinitely extended the ‘emergency measures’ (of the Defence of India Act, 1915) enacted during the First World War to control public unrest and root out conspiracy. The Act authorised the authorities to imprison a person suspected of terrorism for maximum of 2 years without trial. It was condemned by Congress, Muslim League etc. The Rowlatt Satyagraha was the first all-India mass struggle by Gandhi against the British government