Introduction: Gandhiji moved his resolution on non-cooperation movement in a special session of the Congress held in Calcutta in September 1920. In its annual session at Nagpur in December, the Congress confirmed a resolution.
The resolution stated, ‘The only effectual means to vindicate the national honor and to prevent repetition of similar wrongs in future is the establishment of Swaraj’. Gandhiji was given freehand to start the movement.
Why did the non-cooperation movement failed?
Apparently the non-cooperation movement were a failure. There were many causes for its failure.
1. Fall of the Caliph: The Khilafat question was solved by the rise of Kamal Pasha in Turkey leading to the fall of Caliph. So, the Muslims lost their energy for the movement after that.
2. Impact of boycott on students: The prolonged boycott of schools and colleges dampened the zeal of the guardians of students. Rabindranath Tagore could not support the programme of boycott of schools and colleges.
3. Disapproval to the use of Satyagraha by Congress leaders: The use of Satyagraha was not liked by many Congress leaders. According to C.R. Das, the country was not prepared for Satyagraha. Satyamurthi, Jayakar were against the decision of starting movement without sufficient preparation. Rabindranath Tagore reacted in the same way. He wrote to Gandhiji, ‘I know your teaching is to fight against evil by the help of good. But such a fight is for heroes and not for men led by impulses of the movement’.
4. Failure of the programme of boycott: The programme of boycott did not succeed. The Marwari Society of Calcutta imported British good breaking their promises given in 1921.
5. Repressive measures taken by the government: The government took repressive measures to crush the movement.
But the non-cooperation movement was not altogether a failure. It gave a new complexion to the people’s urge for freedom.