Explained: Chauri Chaura incident that led Mahatma Gandhi to halt the Non-cooperation movement

What is the news?

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations and released a postage stamp to mark the completion of the hundred years of Chauri Chaura incident.

What is the Chauri Chaura Incident?

The Chauri Chaura incident occurred on 4th Feb,1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province, (modern Uttar Pradesh) in British India.

During this incident, a large group of protesters, participating in the Non-cooperation movement, clashed with police, who opened fire.

In retaliation, the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants.

What was Mahatma Gandhi’s response to the Chauri Chaura Incident?

Mahatma Gandhi condemned the incident. He set up a Chauri Chaura Support Fund to demonstrate “genuine sympathy” and seek atonement.

He also decided to stop the Non-Cooperation Movement, which he saw as having been tainted by unforgivable violence.

Furthermore, he justified these actions on grounds of his unshakeable faith in non-violence.

What was the reaction of other leaders to suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement?

Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders like Motilal Nehru, C R Das and Subhas Bose recorded their disappointment with Gandhi’s decision.

C.R.Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party within the Congress to argue for a return to council politics. 

Moreover, the  disillusionment resulting from the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement nudged many of the younger Indian nationalists towards the conclusion that India would not be able to throw off colonial rule through non-violence.

It was from the ranks of these impatient patriots that some of India’s most of the revolutionaries came into picture like Jogesh Chatterjee, Ramprasad Bismil, Sachin Sanyal, Ashfaqulla Khan, Jatin Das, Bhagat Singh and many others.

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: Chauri Chaura incident that led Mahatma Gandhi to halt the Non-cooperation movement” published in AIR on 5th Feb 2022