Rowlatt Acts of 1919: Gandhi’s Satyagraha & Birth of India’s Anti-Colonial Uprising

Rowlatt Acts: 1919 Repression in British India

In 1917, the government created a commission chaired by Sydney Rowlatt to examine and repress the country’s revolutionary movements. Rowlatt Acts were passed by the Imperial Legislative Council, the legislature of British India, in February 1919. The acts provided for the non-jury trial of some political crimes and the imprisonment of suspects without charge.

Rowlatt Act 1919: Unjust Detentions and Suspended Rights

Despite fierce resistance, the Rowlatt Bill was enacted and entered law on March 21, 1919. The provisions of the acts were as:

• Constant wartime constraints
• The Act gave the government the authority to jail anyone without a trial or conviction in a court of law
• As a result, the government suspends the right to habeas corpus
• Detention without trial for up to two years
• No right to challenge the court’s decision 

Satyagraha Against the Rowlatt Act: Protesting Rowlatt Bill, 1919

On February 24, 1919, Gandhi established the Satyagraha Sabha in Bombay to protest the Rowlatt Bill. 

Satyagraha Allies and Opponents: 1919 Movement Dynamics

• Support to the Movement: The younger members of Peasant’s Home Rule League, including leaders like Jamnadas Dwarkadas, Shankarlal Banerjee, Umar Sobhani, and B G Horniman are all members of the committee.
• Common Cause: On the question of Khilafat and Turkey’s loss in World War I, Muslim leaders such as Abdul Bari and Dr. M A Ansari joined Gandhi in this cause.
• Opponents of the Movement: Liberal leaders opposed the movement because they believed it would stymie impending constitutional amendments. Surendranath Banerjee, D E Wacha, T B Sapru, and Srinivas Sastri were among them.
• Annie Beasant and Other: She objected, claiming that there is nothing in the Act to oppose. N C Kelkar, a supporter of B G Tilak, and G S Khaparde also opposed the Satyagraha.

Gandhi’s Rowlatt Satyagraha: Defiance, Arrest, and Unrest

• First Satyagraha of Gandhiji: The Rowlatt Act Satyagraha was Gandhi’s first All-India Satyagraha protest.
• Hartal: It was originally scheduled on March 30th, but was later moved to April 6th. It was declared National Humiliation Day.
• Defiance: Gandhi advised the Satyagrahis to defy the law, particularly the prohibition on carrying illegal books and literature.
• Arrest of Gandhi: Gandhi travelled to Bombay on April 8th to expand and support the Satyagraha in Delhi and Punjab. However, Gandhi was apprehended from a train near Delhi and transported back to Bombay. The news of Gandhi’s arrest sparked a wave of unrest across the country.

Conclusion

The Rowlatt Act Satyagraha was the first fully nationwide anti-colonial uprising in India (the Rebellion of 1857 was unsuccessful in uniting the entire nation). One aspect of the demonstrations—the display of Hindu-Muslim harmony—remained constant despite the wide variations in size, intensity, and nature of the events. 

Previous Year Question (Prelims)

Q1. With reference to Rowlatt Satyagraha, which of the following statements is/are correct? [2015]

1. The Rowlatt Act was based on the recommendations of the ‘Sedition Committee’.
2. In Rowlatt Satyagraha, Gandhiji tried to utilize the Home Rule League.
3. Demonstrations against the arrival of the Simon Commission coincided with Rowlatt Satyagraha.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

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