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Rowlatt Act: Rowlatt act of British govt: Why Gandhi started protests against it on March 30, 1919 | India News

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The Rowlatt Act, also known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was a law passed by the British government in India during the period of colonial rule. The act was named after Sir Sidney Rowlatt, the chairman of the committee that drafted it.
The Rowlatt Act authorized the British government to imprison any person suspected of terrorism or revolutionary activity without trial and to detain them for up to two years. The act also restricted civil liberties, such as freedom of speech and assembly.
The act was opposed by Indian leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, who called it a violation of human rights and an attack on Indian nationalism.
Gandhi’s satyagraha
On March 30, 1919, Gandhi launched a nationwide protest against the Rowlatt Act. He saw the Rowlatt Act as a direct attack on the civil liberties and democratic rights of the Indian people. He believed that the act would lead to widespread arrests, torture, and oppression of Indian nationalists and freedom fighters.
In response, the Indian National Congress organized a nationwide protest against the act on April 6, 1919, which became known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
The protests led to widespread civil unrest and violence, and the British government responded with force, including the use of the military.
To protest against the Rowlatt Act, Gandhi called for a day of national strike and peaceful demonstrations across India. The protest was known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha. It was a nonviolent civil disobedience movement that aimed to show the British government that Indians were not willing to accept the Rowlatt Act and the suppression of their rights.
British response to protests
The British response to Gandhi’s Rowlatt Satyagraha was harsh and brutal. The colonial authorities were determined to crush the movement and maintain their grip on power in India.
They responded to the protests with a heavy-handed approach, using force to disperse crowds and arresting thousands of Indian nationalists, including Gandhi himself. The British also imposed martial law in certain regions and resorted to violent repression, including firing on unarmed protestors.
The violence and repression only served to galvanize the Indian nationalist movement and increase support for Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance. The protests spread throughout India, and the British authorities were eventually forced to repeal the Rowlatt Act in 1922.
Repealing of the act
The Rowlatt Act remained in effect until 1922 when it was repealed due to public pressure and opposition from Indian leaders. The act was one of the major events that led to the Indian independence movement and eventual independence from British rule in 1947.
Despite the repeal of the act, the events of the Rowlatt Satyagraha marked a turning point in India’s struggle for independence, as it showed that the Indian people were willing to stand up to British oppression and fight for their rights. It marked the beginning of a new era of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, which would eventually lead to India’s independence from British rule in 1947. It also cemented Gandhi’s role as a leader of the Indian nationalist movement and as a champion of nonviolent resistance.


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