Do you agree with the fact that passing of the Rowlatt Act brought Gandhiji to the forefront of the Indian National movement. Justify your answer.
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Answer:
It was the Rowlatt Act which brought Gandhi to the mainstream of Indian struggle for independence and ushered in the Gandhi Era of Indian politics. Jawaharlal Nehru described Gandhi's entry into the protests in his Glimpses of World History:
The British government passed the Rowlatt Act which gave powers to the police to arrest any person without any reason whatsoever. The purpose of the Act was to curb the growing nationalist upsurge in the country. Gandhi called upon the people to do Satyagraha against such oppressive "Act".
Passed on the recommendations of the Rowlatt Committee and named after its president, British judge Sir Sidney Rowlatt, this act effectively authorized the government to imprison any person suspected of terrorism living in British India for up to two years without a trial, and gave the imperial authorities power to deal with all revolutionary activities.