The period from 1917 to 1947 had been described as the Gandhian Era in Indian Politics. During this period, Gandhi spoke the final word on behalf of the Indian National Congress in negotiating with the British Government for constitutional reforms and chalking out a program for the national While Mahatma Gandhi’s own role was vital, the growth of what we might call “Gandhian nationalism” also depended to a very substantial extent on his followers. Gandhi based his struggle on non-violent non-cooperation with British rule.
Between 1917 and 1922, a group of highly talented Indians attached themselves to Gandhiji. They included Mahadev Desai, Vallabh Bhai Patel, J.B. Kripalani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Govind Ballabh Pant, and C. Rajagopalachari. Notably, these close Jawaharlal associates of Gandhiji came from different regions as well as different religious traditions. In turn, they inspired countless other Indians to join the Congress and work for it.
The withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement and imprisonment of Gandhiji for six years in March 1922 led to disintegration and demoralization in the nationalist ranks.
Serious differences arose between the leaders who had to decide how to prevent the movement from lapsing into passivity. One school of thought headed by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru called ‘Pro-changers’ (called ‘Swarajists’ later), advocated the idea of fighting the British from within the Councils.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. Ansari, Babu Rajendra Prasad, and others, known as “No-changers’, opposed Council entry on the ground that parliamentary work would lead to the neglect of constructive and other work among the masses, weaken nationalist fervor and create rivalries among the leaders.
The sudden withdrawal of the non-cooperation movement was a blow to their aspirations. The secret samitis of the first phase of the revolutionary movement began to be revived in Punjab and in Bengal. The Anushilan Samiti in Bengal was associated with Subhas Bose and the Yugantar Samiti with the JM Sengupta group.
As a result of these struggles was that the national movement gained tremendous popularity among Indian people. It reached out to various sections of the population like peasants, women, workers, and students. The national movement gradually spread to most parts of the country.