Who among the following had launched the Non-cooperation Movement?

The correct answer is Mahatma Gandhi.

Key Points

• Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-cooperation Movement in 1920 as a response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Rowlatt Act.
• The movement aimed to resist British rule in India through non-violent means or "Ahimsa".
• It was a mass protest against the British government's oppressive policies and aimed to attain self-governance or Swaraj.
• Gandhi urged people to withdraw their children from government schools, boycott British goods, resign from government employment, and refuse to pay taxes.

Additional Information

• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre:
  • A tragic incident that took place on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, where British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indian protesters, causing hundreds of deaths.
  • This event marked a turning point in Indian nationalism and galvanized the Indian population against British rule.
• Rowlatt Act:
  • An oppressive legislation passed by the British government in 1919 giving them the power to imprison any person suspected of terrorism without trial for up to two years.
  • The act faced widespread opposition and was one of the catalysts for the Non-cooperation Movement.
• Swaraj:
  • A term used to describe self-governance or "self-rule," which was the ultimate goal of the Indian independence movement.
  • Gandhi's vision of Swaraj included not just political independence but also social and economic empowerment of the common people.
• Ahimsa:
  • A principle of non-violence which is central to Gandhi's philosophy and strategy for the independence movement.
  • Gandhi believed that non-violence was the most powerful weapon for oppressed people to achieve freedom and justice.