Mahatma Gandhi called the Non-Cooperation Movement his 'Himalayan Blunder' after the Chauri-Chaura incident of 1922.

The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922) was a major nationwide campaign of nonviolent resistance against British rule. However, on February 4, 1922, in the village of Chauri-Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh), a large group of protesters clashed with police. The police fired shots into the crowd. In retaliation, the enraged mob set fire to the police station, killing 22 policemen inside.

Gandhi was a strict proponent of non-violence (Ahimsa). He believed that the movement had strayed from its core principle of peaceful protest. Horrified by this violent outbreak, he immediately called for the suspension of the entire Non-Cooperation Movement on February 12, 1922. He felt responsible for the loss of life and considered the movement's premature and violent end a massive miscalculation, hence terming it his 'Himalayan Blunder'.

Related Topics

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922): A significant phase in India's freedom struggle led by Gandhi, aiming to withdraw cooperation from the British government through boycotts of British goods, educational institutions, law courts, and councils.

Khilafat Movement: A pan-Islamic movement that coincided with the Non-Cooperation Movement. Gandhi supported it to forge Hindu-Muslim unity against the British.

Civil Disobedience Movement: The next major campaign launched by Gandhi in 1930, which included the famous Dandi March against the salt tax.

Key Formulae & Concepts

While this is a historical event and does not involve mathematical formulae, the core concept can be framed as a principle:

Gandhian Philosophy: Satyagraha ( insistence on truth) + Ahimsa (non-violence) = Effective political resistance.

The Chauri-Chaura incident represented a critical violation of the 'Ahimsa' component, which Gandhi believed nullified the effectiveness and moral standing of the 'Satyagraha'.