The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in August, 1920 by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. It was first nationwide mass movement that was launched to resist British rule in India through non-violent means. Here, we are giving the list of personalities associated with Non-Cooperation Movement for enhancing the knowledge about the personalities who shaped the Indian independence movement from British rule.
List of Personalities Associated with Non-Cooperation Movement during British India
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Bapu)
He issued a manifesto and announced his doctrine of non-violent Non-Cooperation Movement in March1920. He was a prominent leader of the movement who urged the people to adopt Swadeshi principles and habits, including hand spinning, weaving and work for the removal of untouchability. He addressed lakhs of people during his nationwide tour in 1921. The outburst of violence at Chauri-Chaura in Uttar Pradesh during February 1922 compelled him to suspend the movement.
C.R. Das (Desh Bandhu)
He presented the main resolution on Non-Cooperation Movement during the annual session of the Congress in Nagpur of 1920. He was a lawyer by profession who boycotted the law courts and gave up a lucrative practice. His three subordinates and supporters, Birendranath Samsal, J.M. Sengupta and Subhash Bose in played a major role in uniting the Hindus and Muslims in Midnapore, Chittagong and Calcutta respectively.
Jawaharlal Nehru
He carried on the Non-Cooperation Movement propaganda and encouraged the formation of the Kisan Sabha to take up the cause of the peasants exploited by government policies. He was against Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement.
J.M. Sengupta
He was a Bengali nationalist leader, supported the labourers on tea plantations in Assam in their protests and strike.
Basanti Debi
She was a wife of C.R. Das, was one of the first women volunteers to court arrest in 1921.
Birendranath Samsal
He organised the anti-union board agitation in the Contai and Tamluk sub-divisions of Midnapore. In November-December 1921, Samsal initiated a no-tax movement among the Mahishya substantial tenantry of Midnapore.
Jitendralal Banerjee
He organised the peasants in 1921-22 to resist settlement operations in Bogra, Pabna and Birbhum.
Subhash Chandra Bose
He supported the movement and resigned from the civil service. He was appointed the principal of the National College in Calcutta.
Ali brothers (Shaukat Ali and Muhammed Ali)
They were the foremost Khilafat leaders vehemently supported Gandhi in his nationwide tour to spread the movement. At the All India Khilafat Conference, Muhammad Ali declared that 'it was religiously unlawful for the Muslims to continue in the British Army'. The Ali brothers were arrested later.
Motilal Nehru
He renounced his legal practice in response to the Non-Cooperation Movement call by Gandhi. He was arrested in 1921. Other notable lawyers who gave up their practice included M.R. Jayakar, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Vallabhbhai Patel, C. Rajagopalachari, T. Prakasam and Asaf Ali. Their sacrifice inspired many others, who boycotted government jobs and entered the mainstream of freedom struggle.
Lala Lajpat Rai
He was initially not in favour of the policy of Non-Cooperation Movement (he was against the boycott of schools) but later he supported the movement. In fact he protested against its withdrawal in 1922.
Rajendra Prasad
He actively supported the Gandhian movement in Bihar.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
He spread the movement in Gujarat and regarded Non-Cooperation Movement as a feasible alternative to revolutionary terrorism to fight against a colonial government.
Motilal Tejawat
He organised the Bhils and the Bhil movement strengthened the non-cooperation activities.
Alluri Sitaram Raju
He led the tribes in Andhra and combined their demands with those of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Hasrat Mohani
He was a Khilafat leader, condemned the arrest of the Ali brothers and demanded complete independence.
Purushottamdas Thakurdas, Jamnadas Dwarkadas, Cowasji Jehangir, Phroze Sethna and Setalvad
They launched an Anti-Non-Cooperation Association in 1920.
Kunhammad Haji, Kalathingal Mammad, Ali Musaliar, Sithi Koya Thangal and Imbechi Koya Thangal
They acted as presidents of the Khilafat Republics and set up branches in a number of places.
K. Madhavan Nair, U. Gopala Menon, Yakub Hasan and P. Moideen Koya
They were the Khilafat leaders and supporters of the Non-Cooperation Movement. They were arrested in February 1921.
Muhammad Osman
He was one of the Khilafat agitators, organised volunteer groups and trade unions in Calcutta. Swami Vishwanand (supported by Ramjas Agarwala, a Marwari mine owner) and Swami Darsananand organised the coal miners of the Raniganj-Jharia belt for the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Kishan Singh and Mota Singh
They called for no-revenue movements and headed the 'Babbar Akali' group, which emerged as a dissident of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee, in 1921 in Jullundur and Hoshiarpur.
Jairamadas Daulatram
He was a close associate of Gandhi and promoted the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Swami Govindanand
He was a supporter of Gandhi, was jailed for five years on charges of sedition in May 1921. He later became a critic of the Congress.
S.A. Dange, R.S. Nimbkar, V.D. Sathaye, R.V. Nadkarni, S.V. Deshpande and K.N. Joglekar
They were members of a radical student group and promoted the movement, but were not in line with Gandhi's views. They were influenced by R.B. Lotwalla, a millionaire with a socialist leaning. Dang wrote Gandhi versus Lenin in April 1921 and was in favour of sewerage which would nationalise the factories and distribute zamindari land among farmers.
Thiru Vika
He supported the labour uprising and strike at the Buckingham and Carnatic textile mills from July to October in 1921.
Singaravelu Chettiar
He was a lawyer and labour organiser in Madras and played a significant role in the labour and freedom movements. He was the first communist in South India and was in favour of using non-violent non-cooperation against 'capitalistic autocracy'.
Konda Venkatappaya, A. Kalesv 'ara Rao, T. Prakasam and Pattabhi Sitaramaya
They led the Non-Cooperation Movement in the Andhra delta region.
Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya
He organised the Non-Cooperation Movement in the small town of Chirala-Parala in Guntur district against the Government's plan to make the town a municipality and the hike in local taxes.
N.C. Bardaloi
He was tea planter and Congress leader of Assam who favoured Non-Cooperation but was against strikes in plantations.
Summary on the History of Modern Education during British India
Muzaffar Ahmad
He formed communist group in Calcutta under the influenced of M.N. Roy and Nalini Gupta.
Someshwarprasad Chaudhuri
He was a student in Calcutta who organised the peasants protest against the indigo cultivation on the Rajshaski-Nadia and Pabna-Murshidabad border.
Purushottamdas Tandon, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Govind Ballabh Pant and Lal Bahadur Shastri
They began their political careers in 1920-21, with the onset of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Premchand
He was a well-known novelist who resigned his post in a Gorakhpur government school in February 1921 and started contributing to the journal ‘Aaj’. His novels like Premashararn, Rangbhumi etc. that reflect the Gandhian principles and values and endorse non-cooperation as an effective weapon to gain freedom.
Baba Ramchandra
He organised peasant’s revolt in south and south-east Awadh.
Shah Naim Ata
He announced himself 'King of Salon' and initiated no-taxes movement.
M.N. Roy
He was a communist leader and the editor of the communist journal ‘Vanguard’. He condemned the session’s court's sentence to death in 172 of the 225 accused in the Chauri Chaura incident.
Bhagwan Ahir
He was a pioneer of Chauri-Chaura incident that led to the killing of 72 policemen by the peasants. He was an army pensioner in Gorakhpur village, was beaten up by the British police.
List of Personalities Associated with Swadeshi Movement of British India