Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement: 1. The Congress declared the attainment of ‘Swaraj’ by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective. 2. It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if ‘Swaraj’ did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
* Statement 1 is correct: At the Nagpur Session of the Indian National Congress in December 1920, the Congress formally adopted the objective of attaining 'Swaraj' by all legitimate and peaceful means. This became the central political goal during the Non-Cooperation Movement.
* Statement 2 is correct: The Non-Cooperation Movement was designed as a phased programme. The initial phase included surrender of titles, boycott of schools, courts, elections, and foreign goods. Advancement to the next phase—civil disobedience including non-payment of taxes—was to be undertaken if Swaraj was not achieved within the expected timeline and if the British Government responded with repression, with the discretion to launch the next stage resting with Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress leadership.