Incident Launching Non-Cooperation Movement

The Non-Cooperation Movement was a significant chapter in India's fight for independence, initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. It marked a shift towards mass civil disobedience against British rule.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre as a Catalyst

The immediate and primary incident that spurred Mahatma Gandhi to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement was the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This horrific event took place on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, Punjab.

On that day, a large crowd of unarmed Indians had gathered peacefully in Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the British government's repressive Rowlatt Act. In response, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on the unarmed civilians without any warning. Hundreds were killed, and thousands were injured in the brutal firing, which continued until the soldiers ran out of ammunition.

The sheer brutality and injustice of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre deeply shocked the nation and Mahatma Gandhi. It shattered any remaining faith in the British administration's sense of justice and highlighted the oppressive nature of British rule. Gandhi viewed this event as a clear sign that cooperation with a government capable of such atrocities was morally indefensible. This profound disillusionment, coupled with the Khilafat issue, became the direct impetus for Gandhi to advocate for a nationwide Non-Cooperation Movement.

Analysis of Other Options

Let's look at why the other options were not the direct cause for launching the movement in 1920:

• Partition of Bengal (1905): While a significant event that led to the Swadeshi Movement and widespread protests, it occurred much earlier and was not the trigger for the 1920 Non-Cooperation Movement.
• Simon Commission's arrival in India (1928): This event happened years after the Non-Cooperation Movement had begun and was subsequently withdrawn (in 1922). The Simon Commission's arrival itself led to protests boycotting it, but it wasn't the cause of the 1920 movement.
• Arrest of Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a revered leader, and his arrests fueled nationalist sentiments. However, his arrest was not the specific incident that led Gandhi to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920. Tilak passed away in August 1920, around the time the movement was being formulated.

Therefore, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre stands out as the pivotal event that galvanized Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, demanding Swaraj (self-rule).