Question

Why was the Rowlatt Act detrimental to Indians? How did people react to it?

Answer 1

Hint: The Rowlatt Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in Delhi on 18 March, 1919. It was passed on the recommendations of the Rowlatt committee presided by Sir Sidney Rowlatt in 1918.

Complete Answer:
The Rowlatt Act was detrimental to Indians as it was passed in the legislation even when the Indian nationalists (including all the Congress members as well as All India Muslim League people) and public opposed it and said that they won’t follow the rules of the act. The act stated that the government could arrest anyone without any warrant and imprison them without trials.
The main objective of the act was to replace the repressive provisions of the wartime Defence of India Act, 1915 by a permanent law.
Gandhi started a non-violent civil disobedience movement for protesting against it and people followed the same. Shops were closed, rallies were carried out, public places were attacked and workers went on strikes. This also led to a massacre in Amritsar known as The Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy in April 1919 and subsequently to the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920. There was brutal repression by the British and Martial law was imposed.

Note: The Rowlatt Act was actually never implemented. But this led Gandhi to become the leader of India’s freedom struggle and pushed him into a new phase of fight for independence ultimately making India independent in 1947.