and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre The Government of India Act , however, caused disappointment, as it did not transfer real power to the Indians. Besides, the government began to enforce the permanent extension of war time restrictions. The Rowlatt Act was enacted which provided for excessive police powers, arrest without warrant and detention without trial. Gandhi called it a ‘Black Act’ and in protest called for a nation- wide satyagraha on April .
It was to be a non-violent struggle with fasting and prayer, and it was the earliest anti-colonial struggle spread across the country. The anti-Rowlatt protest was intense in Punjab, especially in Amritsar and Lahore. Gandhi was arrested and prevented from visiting Punjab. On April, two prominent local leaders Dr.
Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal were arrested in Amritsar. General Dyer’s Brutality On April , a public meeting was arranged at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. As it happened to be Baisaki day (spring harvest festival of Sikhs), the villagers had assembled there in thousands.
General Reginald Dyer, on hearing of the assemblage, surrounded the place with his troops and an armoured vehicle. The only entrance to the park that was surrounded on all sides by high walls was blocked, and firing took place without any warning. The firing lasted for ten minutes till the troops ran out of ammunition. According to official report were killed and more than thousand injured.
Unofficial estimates put the toll at more than a thousand. After the incident, martial law was declared and many people in the Punjab, especially Amritsar were flogged and forced to crawl on the streets. The brutality enraged Indians. Rabindranath Tagore returned his knighthood.
Gandhi surrendered his Kaiser-i-Hind medal. (c) Khilafat Movement The First World War came to an end in . The Caliph of Turkey, who was considered the head of Muslims of the world, was given a harsh treatment. A movement was started called Khilafat Movement led by the Ali brothers, Maulana Mohamed Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali.
Gandhi supported the movement and saw in it an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims. He