Rowlatt Act

 Rowlatt Act

• This act was passed on the recommendations of Sedition Committee chaired by Sir Sydney Rowlatt.
• This act had been hurriedly passed in the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members.
• It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities & allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.

 

 

Satyagraha Against the Rowlatt Act – 1919 (First mass Strike)

• The government came out with the reprssive “Rowlatt Act” which the nationalist tooks as an insult.
• Then Gandhi called a nationwide protest in February 1919.
• Gandhi organized a Satyagraha Sabha & roped in younger member of Home Rule League & Pan Islamist.
• The forms of protest finally chosen a nationwide strike accompained by fasting & Prayer; Civil disobedience against specific laws & courting; imprisonment.
• Satyagraha was launched on Aprl 16, 1919 but before that there was large scale violent, anti-British demonstration in Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Ahmedabad etc.
• Especially in Punjab, the situation had become very explosive due to war time repression, army had to b called in.
• Aprl 13,1919 saw the biggest & the most violent anti-British upsurge since 1857 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.e.