Consider the following subjects with regard to Non-Cooperation Programme :

I. Boycott of law-courts and foreign cloth

II. Observance of strict non-violence

III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public

IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes

How many of the above were parts of Non-Cooperation Programme?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All the four

The correct answer is (c) Only three.

Here is an analysis of each subject in relation to the Non-Cooperation Programme (1920-1922):

I. Boycott of law-courts and foreign cloth: This is correct. These were two of the main pillars of the boycott programme. Lawyers were urged to boycott British courts, and the public was encouraged to boycott foreign cloth in favor of spinning and wearing Khadi (homespun cloth).
II. Observance of strict non-violence: This is correct. The entire Non-Cooperation Movement was founded on Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of Ahimsa (non-violence). In fact, the movement was called off in 1922 precisely because this principle was violated during the Chauri Chaura incident.
III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public: This is incorrect. The programme called for the surrender or renunciation of all titles and honorary offices conferred by the British government, not their retention.
IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes: This is correct. This was a key part of the “constructive programme” that ran parallel to the boycott. As lawyers and litigants were boycotting British law courts, national schools and colleges were set up as alternatives to government ones, and panchayats (local arbitration courts) were established to settle disputes.