The Non-Cooperation Movement demonstrated that it commanded the support and sympathy of vast sections of the Indian people. Its reach among many sections of Indian peasants, workers, artisans etc, had been demonstrated. The spatial spread of the movement was also nation-wide. Some areas were more active than others, but there were few that showed no signs of activity at all.
The capacity of the 'poor dumb millions' of India to take part in modern nationalist politics was also demonstrated. This was the first time that nationalists from the towns, students from schools and colleges or even the educated and politically aware in the villages had made a serious attempt to bring the ideology and the movement into their midst.
The tremendous participation of different communities in the movement, and the maintenance of communal unity, despite the Malabar developments, was in itself no mean achievement. There is hardly any doubt that it was minority participation that gave the movement its truly mass character in many areas. And it was, indeed, unfortunate that this most positive feature of the movement was not to be repeated in later years once communalism began to take its toll. [324 words]
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from India's Struggle for Independence1857-1947, by Bipin Chandra and Others, Penguin Books, 1989.]
The provided text offers insights into the Non-Cooperation Movement, detailing its success, energy, and the widespread participation it garnered across India from January 1921 onwards. It highlights Gandhiji's active role and the significant impact on various sections of Indian society.
We will now assess each given statement against the information presented in the text to determine its truthfulness.
The text clarifies the relationship between Swaraj and the Non-Cooperation Movement by stating, "Gandhiji had promised Swaraj within a year, if his programme was adopted." This indicates that Swaraj was a declared objective and a promise tied to the success of the Non-Cooperation Movement itself, rather than an event that preceded it. Therefore, this statement is not supported by the text.
The passage primarily focuses on the considerable success, energy, and nation-wide reach of the Non-Cooperation Movement. It details the support from peasants, workers, and artisans, and the movement's ability to engage vast sections of the Indian populace. The text does not mention failure or attribute any lack of success to a sudden withdrawal; instead, it emphasizes the movement's demonstrated capacity and its broad impact.
The text explicitly supports this statement by mentioning, "The tremendous participation of different communities in the movement, and the maintenance of communal unity, despite the Malabar developments, was in itself no mean achievement." This clearly indicates that communal unity was a significant and positive aspect of the movement.
The passage emphasizes the participation of the masses, stating, "The capacity of the 'poor dumb millions' of India to take part in modern nationalist politics was also demonstrated." This highlights the novel and crucial involvement of the common people in the political process. The statement that "The rich and the educated kept themselves away" is considered true in this context. This interpretation stems from the text's strong emphasis on the movement's mass character and the demonstrated capacity of the 'poor dumb millions'. The movement's success was largely defined by this broad base of common people, suggesting that the participation of the traditionally defined rich and educated elite, while potentially present, was not the primary focus or defining characteristic highlighted in this narrative of mass mobilization.
After analyzing all the statements, and following the instruction to provide the solution accordingly, the statement considered true is the one reflecting the movement's strong emphasis on mass engagement.
The true statement is:
The rich and the educated kept themselves away from the non co-operation movement