Q20
(IAS/2025)
History & Culture › National Movement (1857–1947) › Gandhian mass movements
Answer Verified
Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement :
I. The Congress declared the attainment of 'Swaraj' by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective.
II. It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if 'Swaraj' did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Result
Your answer:
—
·
Correct:
C
Explanation
Both statements are correct. At the 1920 Nagpur Session, the Indian National Congress changed its goal to the attainment of 'Swaraj' by 'all legitimate and peaceful means' (Statement I). The movement was designed to be implemented in stages, starting with boycotts. The subsequent phase—which included mass civil disobedience and the non-payment of taxes—was intended as a final step, to be launched only if the initial phase failed to achieve Swaraj within one year and the government resorted to repression, as highlighted in Gandhi's February 1922 ultimatum to the Viceroy.
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Q. Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement :
I. The Congress declared the attainment of 'Swaraj' by al…
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This is a textbook 'Standard Source' question derived directly from the narrative in NCERT Class X and Spectrum. It tests the specific 'Rules of Engagement' adopted at the Nagpur Session (1920), moving beyond simple dates to the conditional logic of the movement's strategy.
How this question is built
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements.
Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
Did the Indian National Congress declare during the Non-Cooperation Movement that the attainment of "Swaraj" by all legitimate and peaceful means was its objective?
Origin: Direct from books
Fairness: Straightforward
Book-answerable
From standard books
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 16: Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > p. 332
Presence: 5/5
“December 1920 At the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress— (i) The programme of non-cooperation was endorsed. (ii) An important change was made in the Congress creed: now, instead of having the attainment of self-government through constitutional means as its goal, the Congress decided to have the attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means, thus committing itself to an extraconstitutional mass struggle. (iii) Some important organisational changes were made: a congress working committee (CWC) of 15 members was set up to lead the Congress from now onwards; provincial congress committees on linguistic basis were organised;”
Why this source?
Explicitly records the Nagpur (Dec 1920) decision changing Congress goal to 'attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means'.
Contrasts previous objective (self-government via constitutional means) with the new peaceful/legitimate extraconstitutional aim.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 16: Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement * Three demands— > p. 339
Presence: 5/5
“● Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement * Three demands—
• • 1. Favourable treaty for Turkey• 2. Redressal of Punjab wrongs 3. Establishment of swaraj• * Techniques used• Boycott of government-run schools, colleges, law courts, municipality and government service, foreign cloth, liquor; setting up of national schools, colleges, panchayats and using khadi; second stage to include civil disobedience by non-payment of taxes.• * Nagpur Congress Session (December 1920)—Congress goal changed to attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means from attainment of self-government through constitutional means.• * Chauri-Chaura Incident (February 5, 1922)—Violence by agitated mob prompted Gandhi to withdraw the movement.”
Why this source?
Summarises Nagpur session outcome: Congress goal changed to attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means.
Links the change directly with the Khilafat–Non-Cooperation context and methods of boycott/non-cooperation.
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > THE KHILAFAT AND NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT (1919-22) > p. 271
Presence: 4/5
“movement on 31 August 1920. Gandhi was the first to join and he returned the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal awarded to him earlier for services during the War. The Congress met in special session in September 1920 at Calcutta. Only a few weeks earlier it had suffered a grievous loss--Lokamanya Tilak had passed away on I August at the age of 64. But his place was soon taken by Gandhiji, C.R. Das, and Motilal Nehru. The Congress supported Gandhi's plan for non-cooperation with the Government till the Punjab and Khilafat wrongs were removed and Swaraj established. The people were asked to boycott government educational institutions. want to do justice, it will be the bounden duty of every Indian to destroy the Empire." The Nagpur session also made changes in the constitution of the Congress.”
Why this source?
States Congress supported Gandhi's non-cooperation plan 'till ... Swaraj established', showing Congress endorsement of Swaraj as an objective.
Connects the non-cooperation programme with the aim of establishing Swaraj.
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